NOPD Police Chief Addresses Public in Treme’

On Tuesday, April 9, Anne Kirkpatrick, NOPD’s Chief of Police, was questioned by citizens of New Orleans on her style of ruling the NOPD. Approximately 125 people gather at the Treme’ Community Center, to hear the new Chief of police respond to questions the community had to ask. From the beginning the chief made it clear that she was not going to answer any questions with style and heartfelt concern of the people of New Orleans. The Chief’s style of responding to the people of New Orleans was much like the Daryl Gates style after the four officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King.

Several attendees actually called the Chief on her seemingly ducking and dodging straight forward questions with dry and long-drawn-out responses. The chief even tried to engage former interim Chief Michelle Woodfork, who was in the audience, to address some of the concerns. Advisedly, the former interim Chief stayed seated.

The unfortunate proviso was Chief Kirkpatrick came off looking like Daryl Gates, after the acquittal of the four policemen charged with beating Rodney King. For the chief to brag about being fired and winning 1.5 million dollars from Oakland California, after, as she put it, “being fired for the wrong reasons” only allowed for the people to realize she was guilty of something, but the prosecution sited the wrong statues. As most people in attendance, the Chief was not able to convince the audience that she is capable or willing to work for the people of New Orleans.

Unfortunately, everyone has given up on the people of New Orleans. The federal judge, the federal monitors, DOJ and now the newly selected police chief. The future for New Orleans, as far as constitutional policing goes, is a return to the same corrupted police department New Orleans had before the Consent Decree.

– W.C. Johnson, Chair
Community United for Change

This article originally published in the April 15, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.