Shaun Ferguson’s last day on the job at NOPD is December 22nd. This gives Mayor LaToya Cantrell nine days to appoint a new chief from within the department and completely circumvent the confirmation process voted on and approved back in October.
Councilmember JP Morrell found this out and rushed to contact WWL First News.
From the outset Morrell made it clear, he’s not having it from the Mayor.
“I remain profoundly disturbed by efforts by this administration to promote from within quickly to avoid public confirmation, something that the public passed by a very wide margin in October.”
Morrell continued with his demand that such an important position deserves to be vetted and confirmed:
“If we’re going to move forward and try to rebuild public confidence in the department as well as rebuild the morale and for officers to join the department and stay in it, there needs to be a transparent public confirmation process where we solicit the best candidates from across the nation just like [former] Mayor Mark Morial did.”
Morrell says public and the people who voted for the confirmation process deserve to see this important step taken before anyone takes over the reins of the NOPD:
“Any effort to circumvent the confirmation process by doing a quick replacement during the Christmas holiday I think is going to send the wrong message to both the public and to those people who are suffering inside the department currently.”
Morrell states plainly:
“Obviously I think the news today is a tremendous step in the right direction for the department. I think that there needs to be new leadership. There needs to be a new direction because we have faced tremendous attrition at the New Orleans Police Department.