Former New Orleans police chief Michael Harrison is back in city government, working as the deputy mayor of public service. So what exactly is he doing?
“(Mayor Helena Moreno) has hired me and charged me with coordinating criminal justice efforts, criminal justice initiatives, (and) all things public safety,” Harrison told WWL’s Newell Normand. “My job is to make sure there’s coordination, collaboration, and communication at all levels and to make sure we’re not working in silos.”
Harrison says he’s observed a lack of coordination between the city’s public service agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the city’s criminal justice departments. Now, Harrison is charged with overseeing those agencies. He says his goal is to hold the leaders of those agencies accountable for their actions…