New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell took to the microphone this morning to explain why she issued a decree Wednesday barring city employees, mostly the New Orleans Police Department, from speaking on the matter of the Federal Consent Decree.
The refusal to cooperate stems from Federal Monitors requiring Cantrell Administration officials to appear at a public meeting to answer questions.
“Many of my department heads or leadership was requested to participate in this public meeting again with no reasons why, meaning it’s outside of the scope of the consent decree.”
Cantrell says the city will only cooperate on matters focused exclusively on the consent decree. Such matters are discussed mostly between the monitors and the police department.
“I made it very clear that this administration will not participate in meetings, or public meetings that are outside of the scope of the consent decree,” Cantrell re-iterated.
The public meeting was scheduled for today. Consent Decree Monitors have canceled the meeting.
Cantrell stated her comments are usually in line with the Monitors and the aims of the consent decree.
“My comments are, in many cases, are even aligned with that of even the monitor and the judge. Touting progress significantly made by NOPD. Leading mostly to areas particularly of focus: stop, search and arrest, and bias of free policing.”
Cantrell called on the Monitors to halt public meetings that have nothing directly to do with the consent decree. “Stop with the meetings now because I would say again that they are outside of the scope. And one of the things that I would demonstrate is that we don’t have to engage in things that we’re not required to relative of the consent decree that aligned with constitutional policing practices.”
