Sources tell WDSU New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has chosen who she wants to become the next NOPD Superintendent. Anne Kirkpatrick is expected to be tapped for the position.Interviews were held last month with the three finalists. Those finalists were Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork, Anne Kirkpatrick, and David Franklin. Ultimately, Cantrell announced Kirkpatrick will be tapped to become the next NOPD chief once confirmed by the New Orleans City Council. WDSU has reached out to the City for a comment. The city declined to comment at this time.About Anne Kirkpatrick: Kirkpatrick has more than two decades of command experience and was the first female chief to lead the Oakland Police Department. She is also a political consultant and has worked with the FBI. She has a law degree.”Policing is a noble profession, but the profession needs a culture change. I understand culture change and more importantly, I know how to lead it,” said Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick now prepares to lead the New Orleans Police Department as the new superintendent and the first permanent female chief. For nearly 20 years she has led four different department, three in Washington State, including Spokane, Ellensburg and Federal Way.She later became the Bureau Chief in Chicago and was the liaison for the Department of Justice as it was under investigation for a pattern of civil rights investigations. Kirkpatrick was later recruited as the first female chief of Oakland, California, which was also under federal oversite and still is. In her letter to the search committee looking for the next leader of the NOPD, she highlighted her time working in those cities with violent crime, saying she has data to support her record for reducing the crime rate. Her letter read in part: “The Gifford’s Law Center did a report called “A Case Study in Hope – Lessons from Oakland’s Remarkable Reduction in Gun Violence.”When I was the Chief of Police of Oakland, CA, we experienced 3 consecutive years of 20-year lows for homicide and we moved out of the Top 10 Most Violent Cities in America during my tenure. “At the time of my departure from Oakland, we were on pace for a 64 year low in homicides.”In New Orleans she is set to take the reigns in less than a month. Kirkpatrick touts her reputation as being decisive, courageous, credible, and ethical. She believes these traits are what the Crescent City is looking for in its next leader. About the search: The City of New Orleans launched a nationwide search for the next chief for the NOPD after former NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson retired in December of 2022. In June, Mayor Cantrell announced that 33 people had applied for the position. The International Association of Chiefs of Police screened those candidates before narrowing the list down to six semifinalists. The transparency process of the search was criticized by some members of the New Orleans City Council. A committee made up of political and civic leaders were then tasked to narrow down the semi-finalist list for the mayor to interview. The committee chose Thedrick Andres Sr., Anne Kirkpatrick, Jarad Phelps and Interim Chief Michell Woodfork. Cantrell later narrowed down that list to just Andres, Kirkpatrick and Woodfork. A few weeks later, Cantrell reached out to David Franklin, who had withdrawn his application for the position during the semi-finalists phase. She asked him to reconsider interviewing, which he did. One day before the finalists were set to interview with Cantrell, Andres accepted another chief position in Texas. Last week, Cantrell interviewed Kirkpatrick, Woodfork, and Franklin before making her final decision. It is unclear at this time when the council confirmation hearings will begin.
Sources tell WDSU New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has chosen who she wants to become the next NOPD Superintendent. Anne Kirkpatrick is expected to be tapped for the position.
Interviews were held last month with the three finalists.
Those finalists were Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork, Anne Kirkpatrick, and David Franklin.
Ultimately, Cantrell announced Kirkpatrick will be tapped to become the next NOPD chief once confirmed by the New Orleans City Council.
WDSU has reached out to the City for a comment. The city declined to comment at this time.
About Anne Kirkpatrick:
Kirkpatrick has more than two decades of command experience and was the first female chief to lead the Oakland Police Department. She is also a political consultant and has worked with the FBI. She has a law degree.
“Policing is a noble profession, but the profession needs a culture change. I understand culture change and more importantly, I know how to lead it,” said Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick now prepares to lead the New Orleans Police Department as the new superintendent and the first permanent female chief.
For nearly 20 years she has led four different department, three in Washington State, including Spokane, Ellensburg and Federal Way.
She later became the Bureau Chief in Chicago and was the liaison for the Department of Justice as it was under investigation for a pattern of civil rights investigations.
Kirkpatrick was later recruited as the first female chief of Oakland, California, which was also under federal oversite and still is.
In her letter to the search committee looking for the next leader of the NOPD, she highlighted her time working in those cities with violent crime, saying she has data to support her record for reducing the crime rate.
Her letter read in part:
“The Gifford’s Law Center did a report called “A Case Study in Hope – Lessons from Oakland’s Remarkable Reduction in Gun Violence.
“When I was the Chief of Police of Oakland, CA, we experienced 3 consecutive years of
20-year lows for homicide and we moved out of the Top 10 Most Violent Cities in America during my tenure.
“At the time of my departure from Oakland, we were on pace for a 64 year low in homicides.”
In New Orleans she is set to take the reigns in less than a month.
Kirkpatrick touts her reputation as being decisive, courageous, credible, and ethical.
She believes these traits are what the Crescent City is looking for in its next leader.
About the search:
The City of New Orleans launched a nationwide search for the next chief for the NOPD after former NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson retired in December of 2022.
In June, Mayor Cantrell announced that 33 people had applied for the position.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police screened those candidates before narrowing the list down to six semifinalists.
The transparency process of the search was criticized by some members of the New Orleans City Council.
A committee made up of political and civic leaders were then tasked to narrow down the semi-finalist list for the mayor to interview.
The committee chose Thedrick Andres Sr., Anne Kirkpatrick, Jarad Phelps and Interim Chief Michell Woodfork.
Cantrell later narrowed down that list to just Andres, Kirkpatrick and Woodfork.
A few weeks later, Cantrell reached out to David Franklin, who had withdrawn his application for the position during the semi-finalists phase.
She asked him to reconsider interviewing, which he did.
It is unclear at this time when the council confirmation hearings will begin.
Read More: Sources :Mayor LaToya Cantrell expected to name who she wants to be the next NOPD
