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Although Mitch Landrieu initially welcomed federal oversight of the troubled New Orleans Police Department, the Mayor now says the price tag of those reforms is too much to bear at this time.
A federal judge today signed off on an order implementing the consent decree today over the objections of the Landrieu administration. Landrieu told WWL-TV that having to pony up $55 million over five years for the NOPD reforms at the same time the city is facing the specter of a separate multi-million overhaul of Orleans Parish Prison is just too much.
"They (the U.S. Department of Justice) have a gun to our head on the Sheriff’s consent decree and that's going to threaten the financial viability of the police consent decree and that consent decree," the mayor told WWL-TV. "Until I'm sure we can pay for both them, given what may be coming down the pipe, we're going to have to work very close with the Department of Justice, that, in my opinion, has really compromised their integrity in the last couple of months in the city."
In 2010, Landrieu joined then-U.S. Attorney Jim Letten in announcing the wide-ranging investigation into the NOPD, a department long accused of shoddy management, police brutality, and inept investigation methods.
However, the estimated cost of the NOPD reforms has reached $55 million over five years. Meanwhile, the City must also pay more than $7 million from the 2013 budget to address federally-mandated reforms of the Orleans Parish Prison.
Landrieu today released the following statement:
Landrieu today released the following statement:
“It is crystal clear that the City cannot afford a multi-million dollar police consent decree and at the same time a multi-million dollar prison consent decree this year. Because we have demonstrated our full commitment to reforming the NOPD, today we asked the judge to hold off on executing the police consent decree until the price tag of the prison consent decree is clear.
“The Orleans Parish Prison consent decree may cost $17 million, which is not budgeted for this year and would therefore bankrupt the City. If a federal judge ordered the City to pay $17 million, we would need to furlough every City employee, including police officers, for 28 days. It makes no sense to furlough or lay off police officers to give pay raises to prison guards.
“Let me be clear. We are reforming the New Orleans Police Department and we have not waited on the Department of Justice or a consent decree to begin our reform of the department. Since taking office in May 2010, we have made major reforms to the NOPD homicide bureau, the K-9 unit, sex crime investigations, use of force investigations, community policing and hiring and training practices, among others included in the consent decree. Come hell or high water, we will continue to reform the police department.
“As Mayor, I am responsible for the taxpayers’ check book. We simply cannot commit to spending taxpayer money we do not have.”
Click the window below to view Mayor Landrieu's comments today about the NOPD consent decree: 