Frustration was the general message at a Central City meeting with residents and federal monitors reviewing reforms at the New Orleans Police Department. Most of the speakers say the process is too slow.
Lead monitor Jonathan Aronie told the crowd of about 100 people at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center that NOPD has a new momentum for change.
That change is required and outlined in a 2012 consent decree that calls for specific policy improvements.
Aronie says the monitoring board has been working on that since August 2013, and understands the calls to step up the pace of progress.
“We share that frustration. But the truth is that some positive change has been made. And we point that out in the report," Aronie said. "We also point out in our reports where things haven’t been accomplished. And there’s both. And there will probably be both for some time.”
Community activist Ernest Marcelle says changes won’t work until problem officers are removed.
“They abuse people. They take advantage of people and no action is taken against them," Marcelle said. "And as long as that happens, you know, then nothing’s going to change."
Aronie says progress has been made on training police recruits with better teachers, but he’s worried by a proposal to remove college credit requirements.
“When the department’s committed to real change they get out of the consent decree more quickly,” Aronie said.
Federal judge Susie Morgan is overseeing the reform process, which is expected to take several more years.
