"We all loved Everett and we owe it to his memory to do what we can to make sure his. When muckraking blogger Leigh Ferguson snoops down the wrong alley, she gets swept into X's bloody war with a politically powerful crime lord." Provided by publisher. He gave this city his very best the safety and wellbeing of each and every resident and visitor was always his top priority, said Mayor LaToya Cantrell in a statement. Reform-minded Superintendent Richard Pennington, hired in 1994, had managed to put the department on a new course. The situation was perfect to accomplish that goal, said Donovan Livaccari, attorney for the local Fraternal Order of Police, noting the pressure from the council. Ferguson was tasked, in part, with shepherding the department into full compliance with a police reform agreement overseen by a federal judge, and clearing the NOPD from federal oversight. Thank you New Orleans! City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell called for Fergusons resignation last week as the council worked to approve the citys $1.5 billion budget, of which, $25 million would go towards a police recruitment and retention incentive package. To the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department, I love you," Ferguson said. Click Here to report it. or dial 311 or (504) 539-3266. It was an overwhelming feeling, but Ill never forget it.. Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. Laws governing the City of New Orleans: Home Rule Charter, Code of Ordinances and the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Ferguson also asked the community to continue to uplift the police officers of the city, praising the dedication of his officers on the force. We need to support each other as we continue the work of making the city safe for its residents and visitors. Federal prosecutors said it was all part of a larger cover-up. Since then, the city has faced countless challenges the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, two major hurricanes, a global pandemic, global inflation and a nationwide shortage of public safety personnel that New Orleans was certainly not immune to. Ferguson's career includes numerous periods in the NOPD Second District, which spans from Napoleon Avenue upriver through the Audubon, university, Carrollton, [] Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. We must ensure that the next chief commits to upholding constitutional policing and transforming the department. Its time to sit back, look at what I have done, Ferguson said. Prior to overseeing the academy, Ferguson served for about three years as commander of NOPDs 2nd District before being moved to the academy assignment in June 2018. It is vital that the community continue its support for this department, the statement continues. Noel and Ferguson worked together in the 2nd District when Noel was the commander there. You just let the city know, no we will not let this unfortunate situation dictate who we are, Ferguson said at the time. Ferguson will retire at year's end. Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department After 24 years of dedicated public service to the City of New Orleans, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will retire at the end of this year. He was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and returned to the homicide beat from 2011 to 2012. Fergusons first assignment was in Algiers, the same neighborhood where he grew up. New Orleans, LA 70119, Hours of Operation Join me live on @FOX8NOLA at 5PM and 9PM for analysis. The 21-year veteran was a relative unknown when Mayor LaToya Cantrell tapped him to replace outgoing chief Michael Harrison, who left for the top police job in Baltimore. In terms of the way theyre behaving toward each other, I'm not sure how much worse it can get," said Chervenak. The clientele back then was rougher, recalled Barnes, a friend of Ferguson's back then, and now an NOPD public information officer. Various boards, commissions and districts defined in both City and State law. Still, for the remainder of the month the mayor has the authority to pick her own police chief without running the choice by the council. Who is Shaun Ferguson, NOPDs next police chief? The storm brought out the best and worst in the NOPD. Cantrell's statement about Ferguson's retirement can be read below: "The City of New Orleans will soon bid farewell to a great leader, a great partner and a great friend. He said that the data was not an indictment against officers who work for the NOPD and expressed his appreciation for the officers in the department. IM WALKING OUT ON MY OWN ACCORD. Ferguson's monthly financial retirement package would be $12,524 if he chooses not to work for a police department following his retirement from the NOPD, according to the Louisiana Municipal Police Employees Retirement System. By David Jones. On Election Day (Nov. 8), New Orleans voters approved a Home Rule Charter change that gives the City Council power to confirm or deny mayoral appointees. To the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department, I love you," Ferguson said. We just kind of hit it off from there.. One of the church's members, Henry Glovers aunt Rebecca, said she wishes him well. His . Officers issued a warrant for Shane Ferguson, who turned himself in within days. She served 12 years as a Detective and later as a Sergeant in the departments Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit. "To the men and women of this city, I love you. Cantrell will give Ferguson a traditional sendoff with a "Final Walk" scheduled for Dec. 22 outside Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue. Once again, the old 4th District task force crew leaned on each other. It was a department in shambles, sullied by terrible crime statistics and violence coming from inside the department itself. Ferguson currently serves as commander of the Education and Training Division, which oversees the police academy. Cantrell led the Broadmoor Improvement Association at the time. According to Ferguson, he has no plans after retirement and will remain in the city to see what God has to offer him. He urged the council and other city leaders to work together and to stop political showmanship and "show up to the table" with open communication and ideas. I also want to thank the men & women of the NOPD for their continued hard work and service its citizens. As New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson reflected on his impending retirement while denying he was shoved out, a chorus rose Wednesday for Mayor . Afterward, Ferguson began his long rise through the departments ranks. The son of the newly sworn-in head of the New Orleans Police Department was arrested Tuesday (Jan. 22) in connection with a domestic dispute that occurred over the weekend, according to NOPD spokesman Andy Cunningham. A policewoman had a hand in killing her partner and two others during a botched robbery at a New Orleans East restaurant, and a policeman had a hit man murder a woman who had filed a brutality complaint against him. The homicide squad appealed to the Southern University at New Orleans graduate. Before this, he commanded NOPDs Fourth District from 2014 to 2016. His tenure as Chief saw the national rise in crime due to the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but under his diligent leadership, the NOPD persevered. Under NOPD policy, however, no officer can drive with any amount of alcohol in their blood. The city brought in a team of consultants last summer from New York City to revamp the shrunken force, as the mayor faced increasing pressure from business leaders for a leadership change at the top of NOPD. In December 2022, Mayor Latoya Cantrell appointed Woodfork as Interim Superintendent of the New Orlean Police Department. You have permission to edit this article. This time Ferguson and his parents saw a different police force. 9 talking about this. Ferguson served with the department for 23 years, with three of those years in the top position of the department. He also thanked Cantrell for supporting him throughout his tenure as chief, saying she often stood by his side when others called for him to stand down. (booking photo via Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office). What I can take credit for is taking individuals and bringing the best out of individuals and making them a team, he said. Growing library of dashboards tracking City dat and initiatives. Son of new NOPD chief arrested after domestic dispute, Laura McKnight, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Another car crashed into his NOPD cruiser. He emphasized that he was not forced out and that he spoke about retiring to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell before Thanksgiving and even weighed his retirement during the budget hearings. The team quickly won recognition for their hands-on approach. Emily Lane, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, named the citys new police superintendent, Who is Jonette Williams? We have also seen more illegal guns being taken off our streets, with nearly 2,500 illegal guns seized just this year. SINCE BEFORE THANKSGIVING. He liked the idea of putting the pieces of the puzzle together on complicated investigations. He called the profession of a police officer a "noble calling," saying it was a job that he put before his family for a long time. His community-focused approach has helped mend the relationships between our officers and our residents. He called the profession of a police officer a "noble calling," saying it was a job that he put before his family for a long time. MondayFriday Another cop drove a car with Glovers body inside it to the levee and set it on fire. New Orleans police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson discusses decision to retire, IS WDSU NEWS AT FIVE. New Orleans Police Department The New Orleans Superintendent of Police has resigned. In 2012, Woodfork was selected by former Superintendent Ronal Serpas to launch the Alternative Police Response Unit, where she served as Commander. View spatial City data including the popular Property Viewer and Streetwise. No more getting up trying to see whats going on., A day after her handpicked police chief announced his resignation, and following months of controversies over her use of official perks, Mayor. She grew up understanding the importance of law and order and rose through the ranks with grit, tenacity, endurance, strong determination, and steadfast focus. Yet, you faced all of these seemingly insurmountable hurdles with dignity, grace and determination. woman accused of using aunts debit card for 136 DoorDash orders held on preset $18 million bond, Newly installed Methodist bishop makes Louisiana history, called for Fergusons resignation last week, voters approved a Home Rule Charter change. I appreciated the Chiefs recent willingness to listen to the community and the Councils reform recommendations to help NOPD meet the demands of today. Shaun Ferguson named new NOPD chief by Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Published Dec 7, 2022 at 5:23 pm | Updated Dec 8, 2022 at 7:53 am. NOPD superintendent Shaun Ferguson Sr., left, and outgoing chief Michael Harrison, salute one another during the final walk and swearing-in ceremony at Gallier Hall on St. Charles Ave. Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Shaun Ferguson promises his four children will never receive special treatment. 2018. That is who I am. Lundy described Fergusons management style as valuing the employees under his charge, and that makes people work so much harder, he said. Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. . His tibia had to be rebuilt with a bone graft before he could walk again. BUT SAID HE WILL BE STAYING IN NEW ORLEANS. The cop said he thought Glover had a gun. While Ferguson patrolled the French Quarter and Central Business District, colleagues across the river were involved in an incident that reopened the unhealed scars of the Algiers 7 shootings and erased trust the department had rebuilt under Pennington. NOTE: This story was updated Wednesday morning with additional information from court records. Ferguson said his commitment to accountability does not conflict with caring for officers, even ones who have fallen under criminal suspicion. Ferguson heaped praise on the officers who remain while urging greater public support for them. WE BEGIN AT FIVE WITH THE FINAL MESSAGE FROM NOPD SUPERINTENDENT SEAN FERGUSON. I was not forced out. They had an open-door policy, very community focused, excellent community policing skills.". The department is down to fewer than 950 commissioned officers from about 1,175 when he took office. Hours after he was sworn in, a woman accused his son Shane of punching her in the face, according to police. New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will take his final walk Thursday as acting police chief for the NOPD. Fergusons exit comes as a new charter amendment is set to take effect Jan. 1, giving the council the power to confirm or deny mayoral appointments to key posts, including police chief. Before then, Serpas sat in the superintendent's seat for a little more than 4 years. A white rookie cop shot a man named Henry Glover who was trying to pick up goods pilfered from a strip mall. In the late 1990s, the neighborhood still had a lingering distrust of the police from the notorious Algiers 7 police shootings that left four black people dead as officers hunted for the killer of a white cop in 1980. Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche said yesterday that NOPD Superintendent Shaun D. Ferguson deserves the highest accolades for his handling of the department since the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests began. Ferguson rose up as a beat cop in the 4th District, patrolling the Fischer public housing development in Algiers. Ferguson's monthly financial retirement package would be $12,524 if he chooses not to work for a police department following his retirement from the NOPD, according to the Louisiana Municipal Police Employees Retirement System. Good luck brother.. Emergency Calls: 911. You cant ignore he just kept getting one left hook after another.. Ferguson said he does not remember sending the messages, but that they were not out of character. New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson talks to reporters outside the federal courthouse in New Orleans on Aug. 17, 2022. View Crime Maps, UCR Stats, NOPD Calls for Service and more. AND RIGHT NOW, FERGUSON TELLS US HE HAS NO PLANS ONCE HE OFFICIALLY RETIRES ON DECEMBER 22ND. His other jobs shortly after high school included a salesman at Maison Blanche and a mail clerk assistant at Conoco Oil Co. in Algiers. Ferguson, 46, who had been seen as a rising star in NOPD by some observers, has served as a district commander at NOPD since 2014. So far, Ferguson has not announced any major changes to his predecessors approach to violent crime or to the departments reform agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, called a consent decree. The citys new chief took his oath with fanfare in front of Gallier Hall on Jan. 18. He commanded the 4th District, the 2nd District and the training academy over the last six years. "I also want to thank the citizens of this great city for their kind words and support during my tenure. "Copyright 2023 The City of New Orleans"|Report Fraud|Site Policies & Information. I JOINED THIS DEPARTMENT IN 1998 IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY. He gave this city his very best the safety and wellbeing of each and every resident and visitor was always his top priority," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Now Ferguson must apply those lessons to controlling crime in a city that is still one of the nations most violent, while implementing a highly complex, federally mandated reform plan designed to keep something like the Algiers 7 shootings from ever happening again. Your steadfastness in the face of these challenges and tragedies certainly has been a source of comfort to your fellow officers, affected families and victims and our community overall. The appointment would be a historic move. BEEN THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, CIVIL UNREST, HURRICANES, TWO WEEKS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND NONE OF THAT STUFF. Shaun Ferguson says the average response time currently sits at 11 minutes, but with the help of civilians, the department can reduce that time. The summer after graduating high school, he also worked as a deputy for the Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office, guarding inmates at the jail. Hes just a really sincere person. It would be disingenuous to the appointee and the people of this city if there were any attempt to circumvent this process, therefore, I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage the public in a community discussion on this important next step.. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, flanked by city councilmembers and assorted . I have been convinced since the day Shaun was appointed superintendent that he was going to do a great job. Ferguson is a New Orleans native and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School in 1990. Interim Superintendent Michelle M. Woodfork is a legacy within the NOPD and is deeply rooted within the community.