Dear Community Members,

These are unprecedented times for communities and police departments across the country. There is understandable outrage over police-involved incidents in many cities sparking protests; some peaceful, some chaotic but always fluid. We haven't had a situation like this in New Orleans in decades. We're fortunate that most of our local demonstrations have been peaceful. Dealing with large crowds is nothing new for the New Orleans Police Department, we do it all the time. However, we've never used tear gas or rubber balls to disperse a crowd, and we hope we never have to again. Unfortunately, an unprecedented situation led to unprecedented action by the NOPD last month.

Following the events on the Ponchartrain Expressway on June 3rd, I called for an immediate review of the Department's policies and directives regarding demonstrations and crowd control. This is a priority for me as we never want to have an engagement that results in injuries to citizens or police officers. I've asked Deputy Chiefs John Thomas and Arlinda Westbrook to lead an effort to ensure we are following national best practices for Constitutional Policing. This effort is an immediate priority for this Department, and we'll keep the community apprised of our progress. We recognize that to make this project meaningful and sustainable; we will need community involvement. The community's voice is critical to the success of this effort. We welcome assistance from our state and federal partners in identifying serious solutions to this serious problem, and we will request that the Department of Justice vet our findings. I recognize there are calls from within the community to ban the use of tear gas in all circumstances, and we are ready to engage in that discussion.

We share the feelings that have driven the protests here and across the country. Members of the New Orleans Police Department live in the same communities you do. Our kids attend schools with your kids. We want racial justice just as much as you do. We are hopeful that by working together, we can develop an approach that protects everyone's right to voice their opinions while remaining safe.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Shaun Ferguson

New Orleans Police Department