There have been encouraging trends as of late regarding the prevention and solving of violent crimes in New Orleans. With a new mayor taking over at city hall soon, can this momentum continue?
Former NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas has unique insight into what crime in the Crescent City looks like, and he says there are reasons for optimism moving forward.
Serpas notes that, in speaking to others closely involved, Mayor Cantrell’s tenure wasn’t marked by a close relationship with the NOPD. “One thing that can be said about the Cantrell administration is that, even before she was engaged in so much misconduct that created a tremendous amount of distraction in her office, I’m not sure she had a whole lot to do with the police department anyway,” he pointed out, noting sources close to the department.
While much has been made about the dire financial straits the NOPD finds itself currently in, Serpas emphasizes that in his experience within other police departments facing their own crippling financial issues, keeping all hands on deck when it comes to law enforcement is the key to maintaining low crime rates.
“Crime waves come and go,” Serpas says. “Police chiefs can make a difference in that, but they need an active mayor. They need an active public support network. So, the more of that we see, the more likely a police chief can be successful,” he went on to explain.
Serpas points to his experience with three different leaders in other states facing “earth-shattering” financial crises and how they never wavered from their emphasis on having all hands on deck when it came to officers on the streets as being crucial to keeping crime rates low.
While the former NOPD Chief believes the city can keep crime rates lower than they’ve historically been, he does note that Mayor-elect Helena Moreno will face some potentially tough choices when it comes to maintaining peace in the Crescent City.
“One of the key things Moreno may have to consider is the model of Governor Locke or Mayor Dean, who said, ‘We know we have financial problems and we know that we have issues we need to confront that are very significant. But, if we let a police department’s numbers fall from 1,600 people in 2010 to 900 or fewer in 2025, the chances of any police chief being successful are cut dramatically,” Serpas emphasized.
It ultimately comes down to having enough people in the department on the streets to get the job done on a consistent basis to ensure numbers don’t spike moving forward. It will be a delicate tightrope to walk politically, but a necessary one, according to the former police chief.