New Orleans Police Chief Superintendent Sean Ferguson came out swinging this morning in defense of the NOPD and the department’s efforts to reign in rising crime in the city.
The press conference, which began minutes after Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams addressed the issue is the latest in a back-and-forth over who is responsible for not helping stop the rising rate of crime.
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“So for someone to ever question the integrity or will or the commitment to the city, I have a problem with that,” Ferguson pressed. “We are the only ones who have been consistent over the last two years throughout this COVID pandemic to consistently fight a good fight.”
Ferguson used as an example of revolving door justice, Devin Chaney, a repeat offender: “Devin Chaney was an individual arrested in 2019, for two armed robberies, possession of firearm as a convicted felon, for possession of illegal narcotics. December 13, 2021, he pleaded out to a ten year suspended sentence. Three years’ probation. And just last month, he committed five more armed robberies.”
Ferguson called for the justice system to take a stand against repeat offenders:
“Make no mistake about it. We will continue to do what we need to do. But many are acknowledging that a short term solution to much of this violence that we face as a society will come from punitive measures,” he said. “We need to find ways to keep violent offenders behind bars. We need to innovative in our solutions.”