New Orleans Mayor Taps Anne Kirkpatrick to Lead Police Department
New Orleans, LA – Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced on Monday her selection of Anne Kirkpatrick as the nominee to lead the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Pending approval by the City Council, Kirkpatrick will take over as the permanent replacement for former Chief Shaun Ferguson, who retired last year. Currently, Michelle Woodfork, a seasoned veteran of the NOPD, is holding the interim position and had also applied for the role.
Kirkpatrick, a seasoned law enforcement veteran with over 35 years of experience, has previously served as the chief of police in Spokane, Washington, and Oakland, California, bringing valuable leadership credentials to the table.
Mayor Cantrell expressed confidence in Kirkpatrick’s abilities, stating, “With over 35 years of experience in law enforcement, coupled with 20 years of leading police departments of even larger municipalities, Kirkpatrick has proven that she is more than capable and has what it takes to now lead the world-class NOPD.”
Kirkpatrick’s professional journey includes a six-year tenure as the chief of police in Spokane and involvement in police reform efforts in Chicago under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2017. However, she left the Chicago position shortly thereafter to head Oakland’s police department.
In 2020, Kirkpatrick faced dismissal from her role in Oakland. However, she filed a whistleblower claim against the city, alleging her termination was a result of exposing unethical behavior by the civilian commission overseeing the police department. Eventually, she received a settlement of $1.5 million.
Kirkpatrick is known among her supporters as a reform-minded leader. If the City Council approves her nomination, she will oversee a police department operating under a comprehensive reform agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, approved by a federal judge in 2013. This agreement stemmed from federal investigations into deadly police shootings of civilians following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Additionally, Kirkpatrick will inherit the challenge of managing a police force that has experienced a steady decline in personnel over recent years, even amid an increase in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, voters granted the City Council the authority to approve or reject the nominee for police chief. Council Vice President Helena Moreno, who has expressed concerns about the selection process, did not commit to approval in her statement responding to Kirkpatrick’s nomination. Moreno emphasized the importance of transparency and expressed her anticipation to learn more about Kirkpatrick’s qualifications, previous work, and plans to enhance safety in New Orleans and improve the NOPD.