The New Orleans Police Department tonight holds the first in a series of public meetings in each police district to discuss the department's progress under the consent decree. But the court-appointed consent decree monitors are not part of the program.
Police officials will be at the meetings to provide an update on where they stand under the consent decree, and answer questions. But the people whose job it is to track the NOPD's process and report back to a federal judge won't be participants. Former NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas says it is really what the federal monitors say that counts.
"The federal monitors share with the judge their opinion based on the evidence they collect to support their opinion," said Serpas.
Serpas says there's nothing wrong with the department reaching out to the public, "but if it gave the false impression to the public that somehow or another, the NOPD was trying to shift an argument in their favor, it's in the wrong forum, it's at the wrong time, and it's not the law of how the consent decree works."
Serpas says only the consent decree monitors can decide if the NOPD is meeting its goals.
A police department spokeswoman said the monitors "may be in attendance, but they will not have a speaking role."
The NOPD's meeting tonight is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Youth Empowerment Center at 12000 Hayne Boulevard in the NOPD Seventh District.
There will be additional meetings at the following dates, times and locations:
Thursday April 20 Fourth District
4pm-6pm Algiers Public Library 3014 Holiday Dr.
Saturday April 22 First District
11am-1pm Sojourner Truth Community Ctr. 2200 Lafitte Ave.
Saturday April 22 Fifth District
2pm-4pm 5th District Station 3900 N. Claiborne Ave.
Monday April 24 Second District
6pm-8pm City of Love Church 8601 Palmetto St.
Tuesday April 25 Eighth District
6pm-8pm 8th District Station 334 Royal St.
Wednesday April 26 Sixth District
6pm-8pm Booker T Washington Auditorium 1201 S. Roman St.
Thursday April 27 Third District
5pm-7pm Hynes Charter School 990 Harrison Ave.
*Entrance on Orleans & French Street
