New Orleans Police Department
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New Orleans Police Department 2019 Community Policing and Engagement Annual Report NOPD agrees to prepare a publicly available report on at least a quarterly basis detailing its community policing efforts in each District, including developing community partnerships and participating in public meetings, and its problem-solving activities, including specific problems addressed and steps taken by NOPD and the community toward their resolution. This report also shall identify obstacles faced and recommendations for future improvement. At least annually, NOPD agrees to issue a publicly available report that summarizes these problem-solving and community policing activities. [Consent Decree ¶228] The purpose of this report is to assess the effectiveness of NOPD’s community partnership and problem- solving strategies in accordance with Consent Decree paragraph 228. Due to the 2019 Cyber Attack, some information from the fourth quarter was not available or accessible. POLICY STATEMENT • The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) shall promote and strengthen community partnerships, work constructively with the community, ensure collaborative problem solving, ensure ethical and bias-free policing, and work to increase community confidence in the Department. • The New Orleans Police Department will effectively engage the community in collaborative problem solving. NOPD will partner with residents and stakeholders to identify and solve problems that contribute to crime, fear of crime and quality of life problems in communities. The Department is committed to proactively solving problems as well as reacting to their harmful consequences. • The mission of the New Orleans Police Department is to provide professional police services to the public to prevent crime, maintain order and protect life and property. NOPD is committed to the philosophy and practice of community problem-oriented policing as a means to inform organizational decisions, shape policies, identify training needs, and prioritize crime fighting by engaging each neighborhood and community organization in collaborative problem-solving partnerships. Community problem-oriented policing, and community policing and engagement are critical methods toward achieving NOPD’s mission. • The New Orleans Police Department will collaborate with community stakeholders and partners on policing and engagement efforts. The Department encourages its members to develop problem solving partnerships with community residents. • NOPD recognizes that it serves many diverse communities. Communities arise not only from shared geography but also social ties, common perspectives, and shared circumstances (for example, the LGBTQ or LEP community). NOPD shall seek to engage all communities in its community policing and engagement efforts. 2019 Community Engagement Annual Report pg. 1 • NOPD’s recruitment efforts shall focus on hiring officers who can build relationships and work collaboratively with all communities. DEFINITIONS • Community Engagement—Activities that foster positive interactions between citizens and officers, employ community policing ideals, create opportunities for constructive exchanges, and foster substantive collaboration with the community, while enhancing trust and legitimacy. • Community Liaison Officer (CLO) —The CLO engages in problem identification and problem- solving activities with community members around the community’s priorities and works proactively with other city departments to address quality of life issues. CLOs also work with platoon officers in problem identification and problem-solving. CLOs will not be assigned to answer calls for service absent exigent circumstances. • Community Partnerships — Collaborative problem-solving activities and engagement activities between the Department and the individuals and organizations the Department serves to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police. • Community Policing—A philosophy and operational strategy that promotes organizational practices that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to work with the community to address the immediate conditions that give rise to public-safety issues such as crime, social disorder and fear of crime. • Community Policing Plan—A district-specific blueprint of collaborative partnerships with the community. The Community Policing Plan addresses the unique needs of the communities serviced in each District. Each district’s Captain is responsible for the development of the plan. • New Orleans Neighborhood Police Anti-Crime Council (NONPACC)—NONPACC is a partnership amongst the community, district Captains, and officers to create conversations, identify problems, and devise solutions. Members of the public voice their concerns directly to the District Captain during face-to-face meetings. • Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB)—A board consisting of five to seven citizen volunteers from their respective police districts. PCAB members serve a two-year term and meet quarterly to address community issues. The City’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement coordinates the application and selection process for PCAB volunteers. The Superintendent has final approval on the selection of members to serve on PCABs. COMMUNITY GROUPS Community groups continue to partner with the New Orleans Police Department to solve community problems and build lasting relationships. See the community group partnerships below. CITYWIDE 2019 Community Engagement Annual Report pg. 2 • New Orleans Neighborhood Police Anti-Crime Council (NONPACC) Meetings: The NONPACC meeting is held monthly, facilitating conversation and providing a forum for residents to voice their concerns directly to the District Captain and other key NOPD personnel. In particular, the District Captains presents key activities and information related to crime prevention and community policing in order to receive feedback and additional information from the community. • Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB) Meetings: Each District is assisted by a Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB). The PCAB consists of five to seven members who are citizen volunteers from their respective police districts. PCAB members serve a two-year term and meet quarterly to address crime and quality of life issues. In 2019, the PCABs continued to host quarterly meetings to problem-solve with NOPD leaders. PCABs provide written recommendations to NOPD Captains. NOPD First District Community Policing Plan Expand its outreach to engage more of the community in crime fighting strategies: Recently the First District held a NONPACC meeting in the neighborhood where a narcotics conspiracy case was concluded. The turnout was impressive, and the entire audience was engaged and informative as well as educated with issues facing the First District. • First District Officers can assist with forming a partnership with existing Neighborhood watch groups in this area, which encompasses N. Dorgenois, Dumaine, N. Broad to Ursuline Street. In order to ensure narcotics violators and other criminal activity is curbed or stopped. The effort will be monitored by Community Liaison Officer (CLO) to include arrests and complaints received by communities and Crime Stoppers tips. • This will be done by introducing the neighborhood to the HQ Community Liaison, Lt. Jonette Williams and City Hall Community Engagement personnel to facilitate this process. • The benchmark to ensure progress will be to meet with the group and see how effective the neighborhood watch is and how police can work with them to address their concerns. 2019 Community Engagement Annual Report pg. 3 • To implement these goals, the following objectives are set for the program: • Ensure personal contact with the existing Neighborhood Watch Groups in the area specified above • Advertise participation in the Neighborhood Watch Groups in the area through the NOPD’s PIO. • Send DIU and Task Force Officers to existing Neighborhood Watch meetings (or Neighborhood Association Meetings) to collect and share crime information. The CLO will have an action workbook that will address any issues and work he has done in these areas. 2019 1-10-2019 - QUALITY OF LIFE MEETING AT CITY HALL WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS. 1-30-2019 - Officer Cooper participated in the circle at Warren Easton High School that was orchestrated by Lou Furman. The officers interacted with the kids that attended the circle. Every question from the kids were answered professionally. The kids were very happy with the officers after the circle had ended. The officers participated in a full-scale exercise at the municipal auditorium. The event known as complex coordinated terrorist attack was orchestrated by homeland security. 3-26-2019 - Worked with the towing division to remove abandoned vehicles from canal and roman street. Multiable complaints about these vehicles. 4-11-2019 - Officer Cooper along with Sergeant Jenkins spoke with a dozen or so kids from the area Job Corps about staying positive and continuing their education with more meetings to come. 4-16-2019 - The Captain and his staff attended the Bienville basin annual spring health and safety event at the new playground located at Conti and Marais street. 5-9-2019 - Attended the quality of life meeting at City Hall with Lieutenant Bush. This is the monthly meeting hosted by the city attorney’s office to discuss quality of life issues that need immediate attention. 5-21-2019 - Officer Cooper along with Sergeant Morrison attended the PCAB meeting at the fair grounds to discuss