Amid scandals following Hurricane Katrina,New OrleansSevere struggles imposed on police departments and court-mandated reforms amid nationwide rise in violent crime are endangered by dwindling personnel and inadequate resources, a federal judge said Wednesday.
Federal District Judge Susie Morgan's comments raised serious questions about whether the city could be granted reprieve from federal oversight any time soon. A day earlier, city officials filed a motion to reverse the court-approved "consent decree," and the city agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice to implement the reforms.
Hearings scheduled for Wednesday. At the meeting, Morgan stressed that she had not commented on the motion, to which a Justice Department attorney responded, saying it was too early to discuss it before another hearing was held. He criticized Mayor Cantrell's recent allegations, arguing that the consent decree puts an undue burden on officers. Morgan said such claims "give the false impression that the officer wants to go back to her old NOPD."
A consent decree was negotiated between the City and the Department of Justice in 2012 and approved by federal court in January 2013.
National police reform experts praised the department's improvements under the statute, and Morgan offered words of encouragement at an April hearing.
has also seen an outflow of personnel, dropping from about 1,300 to about 950 over the past few years. And reform seems to be under threat as well.
After hearings from federal monitors, Morgan on Wednesday ordered increased oversight of some aspects of the station's operations. This includes officers' approved off-duty security details, crime reporting, and the Department's office to help officers deal with mental health. and substance abuse issues.
"It's just heartbreaking that that office was allowed to collapse," Morgan said.
She called on city officials to develop an "overall plan" to deal with the reduced workforce.
} After hearings, Sean Ferguson Police The chief said the agency has plans to use recently approved federal funding to bolster reforms.
"We want to do more. We want to do better," Ferguson said. Said
