The national organization conducting the search for the New Orleans Police Department’s next chief declined an invitation Friday from two city council members to provide a public update on the search at a July council meeting.
In a response to Council President JP Morrell and Council Member Oliver Thomas, Carl Maupin of the International Association of Chiefs of Police said appearing at a council meeting could make it seem like the council is trying to influence the search process.
“Although the Council’s invitation is understandable, nonetheless, IACP is concerned that its appearance before the Council before the entire project is complete and finished could be construed or misunderstood as an unacceptable intrusion into the process or interference in the process, and IACP respectfully is determined to avoid such an outcome,” Maupin wrote.
Instead, the group did provide some demographic information on the 33 candidates that applied for the position. It is unclear why that number is more than the 27 people Cantrell said applied for the job in a statement Thursday, as the application window closed June 23.
According to IACP, the vast majority (28) of the applicants were male, with only five women applying. All but seven were from out of state, with only four of the applications from within NOPD. More than half (19) had a master’s degree, while three had law degrees and two had PhDs. One did not have a college degree, and the rest had a bachelor’s degree.
“An assessment center for qualified candidates will be held within the next few weeks,” Maupin said.
In a response letter, Morrell expressed disappointment that IACP has refused to regularly update the council and the public on the search, saying that the desire for updates was rooted in “transparency and accountability.
“Unfortunately, what has unfolded so far is a process shrouded in secrecy,” he said.
So far, IACP has only been reporting to Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office. Cantrell ultimately will get to choose her nominee to be the city’s new police chief, but under a new city rule, the council will ultimately have to approve that selection.
“It is regrettable that IACP has determined it only needs to report to the executive branch, and not to the city as a whole, or to its residents who are most impacted by their work,” Morrell said.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell provided an update on the search, while a council letter asking for more details goes unanswered.
