With the New Orleans Police Department Public Integrity Bureau investigation into NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie concluded, Vappie has been reassigned to Mayor LaToya Cantrell's Executive Protection Team.
"The New Orleans Police Department's (NOPD) practice is to return officers to their original duties once appropriate disciplinary action has been administered," the mayor said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "Consistent with this long-standing NOPD protocol, Officer Jeffrey Vappie has resumed his assignment to Executive Protection."
That PIB investigation received heavy criticism from the federal consent decree monitor, who said PIB seemingly ignored evidence and failed to interview key witnesses, including the mayor herself and former NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.
Related
PIB did find that Vappie violated policy by reporting an 18 hour work day and spending "numerous hours" alone with the mayor at the city-owned apartment in the Pontalba outside of his regular duties.
New Orleans Police Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork released the following statement:
The New Orleans Police Department has adopted a system of best practices by assembling a panel, consisting of three senior level managers, to examine the facts and procedures of each formal disciplinary investigation and provide a final recommendation of their findings.
The panel convened for this disciplinary hearing consisted of three senior level individuals with more than 70 years of NOPD experience. This panel is highly versed in NOPD policy and procedure and utilized their knowledge and experience to weigh the facts and circumstances of this detailed investigation.
As with all sustained disciplinary investigations, appropriate disciplinary action followed.
I would like to assure the public that the process of fair and consistent discipline is a staple of this administration, and that the NOPD will continue to evaluate each allegation brought before us with the highest levels of professional standards.
As such, I agreed with the recommendations of the panel regarding the facts and circumstances presented in this case. My decision stands firm.
As to Officer Jeffrey Vappie’s assignment, according to the disciplinary matrix the sustained violations were minor in nature; therefore, Officer Vappie was returned to his previous assignment on the mayor’s executive protection team.
Officer Vappie’s return to his former duties is consistent with what occurs with any officer whose disciplinary action has concluded with minor departmental infractions.
Moreover, as a result of this investigation, I have charged our Professional Standards & Accountability Bureau with authoring an executive protection policy which includes input from both DOJ and the monitoring team.
This policy, along with standard operating procedures which are currently being drafted, will establish clear expectations for members of the Executive Protection Team.