Last week I called out the city of New Orleans for not footing the bill to bring aboard law enforcement all-star Bill Bratton as he consults our city on implementing a more effective security strategy.
Since the announcement, it’s been revealed that a non-profit, the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, is providing the funds and overseeing the process.
However, just because the city isn’t taking the lead in bringing on Bratton, doesn’t mean the project isn’t in good hands.
On Tuesday, I interviewed Melanie Talia, the President and CEO of NOPJF. I asked her about the beginning stages of working with Bratton, the current atmosphere at the NOPD, and how the ongoing Super Bowl and Mardi Gras security prep is going.
Talia explained that the NOPFJ has a history of aiding the city with law-enforcement-related needs, saying, “It's not uncommon for the Police and Justice Foundation to be the first organization that gets a phone call and gets asked for help. We are founded on the concept of being a public-private partnership. And, of course, 30 years ago, when we were founded, one of our first efforts was to bring in Jack Maple and to create the Pennington Plan, after which the city saw a huge reduction in crime, actually led the nation in crime reduction. Not unlike what we see today.”
For those who don’t remember, the Pennington Plan rolled out in the mid-90s, a time when violent crime was spiking not just in New Orleans but all over the country. However, under the Pennington Plan and Maple’s leadership, NOLA saw murders decrease from 424 in ‘94 to 158 by ‘99.
Talia is confident Bratton’s experience will deliver results. She said, “Everyone in law enforcement circles is familiar with Bill…So we are happy to assist wherever we can, particularly with the speed at which we can work. We're always standing ready, willing, and able to assist the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department.”
However, Talia revealed that although Bratton’s involvement with the NOPD has been announced, his contract isn’t solidified.
“It's still a fluid situation,” Talia explained. “There are still some things being worked out. As soon as that’s all firmed up, we'll let you know.”
We also discussed how the NOPJF plans to update citizens on security advancements prior to the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.
Talia told me, “Right now, as I understand it, they will be conducting some assessments and they'll make recommendations immediately. And I think a lot of what we'll see will be recommendations made in real time… I think it's going to be a very fluid situation as the days come and as they learn and conduct assessments and gather data, they will be issuing recommendations right there on the spot."
The NOPJF is an organization committed to focusing on the well-being of NOPD officers themselves, as well as the safety of the city. The conversation turned to the current state of the NOPD in the aftermath of the Bourbon Street terror attack.
“They're humble—I think is the best word—but they're tired,” said Talia. “It's been a long couple of weeks, as it has been for many people across New Orleans. But that's that. You talk to them and they say, ‘This is my job.’ They get up, they lace up their boots, they don their gun in their badge, and they go to work…So whether they're assisting tourists with restaurants and directions or handling homicides and egregious offenses, they're working. They have a job to do, and they're going to do it. That's one of the many reasons why we have so many heroes at the New Orleans Police Department. Not every hero wears a cape. A lot of heroes wear a badge.”