Residents satisfied with NOPD but concerned about drugs, survey finds

According to a new survey conducted by the New Orleans Crime Coalition, more than half of the city’s residents say they’re satisfied with the job the NOPD is doing.

Resident satisfaction stands at 55 percent, which is actually up four points from 2017.

The annual survey also found satisfaction with how the department is handling violent crime, increased by eight points. So 47-percent of residents now feel satisfied.

Almost 67-percent of adults are happy with police performance in their neighborhoods. The 2018 survey is the New Orleans Crime Coalition’s 14th survey since 2009.

It also found that 83 percent of New Orleanians feel safe in their neighborhoods. About 87 percent of respondents said the NOPD employee they interacted with was pleasant and courteous.

But there is a decrease in satisfaction, more residents feel there are issues with getting drugs off the street. In fact, only 37 percent of those who took the survey said they are happy with those efforts.

The survey noted that the decrease in satisfaction with drug efforts could reflect the known shortage of police officers and staff.

The survey was conducted from September of last year to now.

This article originally published in the September 24, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.