We're learning more about the consultants that are in New Orleans to work with the New Orleans Police Department.
According to Metropolitan Crime Commission head Raphael Goyaneche, those consultants have been in town for a while to find solutions to the NOPD's problems.
"This just didn't start a week ago," Goyaneche told WWL's Tommy Tucker. "This has been the better part of two months in the making."
Goyaneche says those consultants have been hard at work since arriving in New Orleans.
"These consultants have been interviewing officers and assessing the police department, and they've come up with a plan and an intiative," Goyaneche said. "The easy part is hiring the consultant and coming up with the plan. The hard part is executing the plan."
Goyaneche also notes that the head of the consulting firm, John Linder, and Mayor LaToya Cantrell have a history. Goyaneche says Linder helped Cantrell when she first ran for the city council. Goyaneche adds that Cantrell previously consulted with him and invited him to help the NOPD.
"Make no mistakes. The reason that John Linder (is here) and this is happening (is because) this is the mayor's call on this," Goyaneche said. "She wanted him here. She has a relationship. She knows John Linder. She trusts John Linder. John Linder is here because of LaToya Cantrell."
Goyaneche says he expects the consultants to suggest ideas that New Orleans officials have floated, including reorganizing the department and finding ways to recruit officers. If that's the case, why does the NOPD need someone from New York to tell them what locals have told them for a long time?
"I think what has happened in many respects--and this happened back in the 1990s--(is that) there was a sense that we needed to have a fresh perspective, a fresh look at everything," Goyaneche said. "That's what we're seeing happen right now."
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