The NOLA Coalition, a collection of local nonprofits, civic organizations and businesses formed to help address New Orleans' increase in homicides, carjackings, and other violent crimes, today issued a statement saying it is "critical" that the Cantrell administration search far and wide for a replacement for retiring New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.
"It's really important that we have a process that is best-practices, that has community input, that's going to get us the very best candidate, who might very well already exist within NOPD, but that essentially comes from a process that is unimpeachable," said GNO Inc. leader Michael Hecht, part of the coalition. "We're just encouraging that we follow this type of process for this critical hire."
The coalition is urging a national search that is transparent and includes community input. Hecht said doing so is the best way to insure that the new superintendent, whoever it ends up being, has the full support of both police officers and the people of New Orleans.
The mayor reportedly favors promoting Deputy Superintendent Jonette Williams, but the administration has not confirmed those reports.
