City of New Orleans Provides Update on New Orleans Police Superintendent Search

City of New Orleans

In March, the Cantrell Administration engaged the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to conduct a national search for the next Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). The Superintendent position holds significant importance for the community, and selecting the right candidate is vital to ensuring our residents’ and visitors’ safety, security and well-being.

IACP, in cooperation with the City of New Orleans, community leaders and stakeholders, worked to define the qualifications of the ideal Superintendent candidate through direct engagement with residents, job analysis, an evaluation of the policing environment and feedback from NOPD employees. To gather community input at an early stage of the process, IACP administered community surveys and conducted community meetings in each Council District, focus group interviews and individual interviews with City Council members and stakeholders. A strong partnership between law enforcement and the community is essential for fostering trust, promoting collaboration and building a safer city.

Once the candidate profile was finalized, IACP developed a recruitment brochure that described the position and provided an overview of the NOPD and information about the city. The recruitment brochure and associated marketing campaign were designed to elicit responses from the most qualified applicants nationwide. The application period opened June 6th and closed June 23rd. The job posting asked for applications to be sent directly to IACP.

Thirty-three candidates applied for the Superintendent position. Following a thorough evaluation by IACP, including resume review, internet screening and a virtual structured interview, six candidates were recommended by IACP to be considered as semi-finalists. The semi-finalists will participate in a two-day Assessment Center on July 20th & 21st in New Orleans. The Assessment Center will allow IACP to evaluate the semi-finalists based on essential competencies required for effective police agency leadership. City public safety personnel and external stakeholders will participate in the interview process at the Assessment Center to contribute a local perspective.

After the conclusion of the Assessment Center, IACP will assess each candidate’s performance throughout the evaluation process and recommend candidates to be considered as finalists. Each finalist will interview with Mayor Cantrell and other senior members of the administration. Once a candidate has been selected, the appointee will appear before the City Council for the confirmation process.

The Cantrell Administration appreciates the IACP and all those that provided vital feedback in the process of the search for the City’s next Superintendent, and we look forward to concluding the search in the coming weeks.