Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said Wednesday that federal oversight is to blame for the New Orleans Police Department’s woes.
“The New Orleans Police Department is in shambles because of a federal consent decree and a federal judge,” Landry said at a morning news conference. “We have to wrestle that away from them, and even if she gave it to us today, it would take a decade to build that police department back up.”
The federal consent decree is an agreement the city of New Orleans reached with the U.S. Justice Department that gives the federal government oversight authority over the NOPD. It took effect in 2013 after a federal investigation found the NOPD had a pattern of abusing residents’ civil rights.
Landry has long complained that it prevents cops from doing their jobs.
Landry will push lawmakers for funding to beef up the presence of Louisiana State Police in New Orleans. Plans are underway for what’s being called “Troop NOLA,” a unit of about 40 troopers.
Louisiana State Police is not bound by the consent decree, which is between the federal government and city of New Orleans.