The NOPD is announcing three changes to district command assignments, two of which will be effective Friday, June 18, 2021 and the third to take effect Monday, June 21, 2021.
Effective today, after a 37-year career with NOPD, Captain Anthony Caprera will retire from NOPD. Also effective today, Captain Jeff Walls, currently in command of the Second District will transfer and assume command of the Eighth District.
On Monday, June 21, 2021, Lt. Eric Gillard, currently second in command in the Second District, will be promoted to the rank of Captain and assume command of the Second District.
In 2020 Caprera was named commander of the Eighth District for the French Quarter and the Central Business District.
Caprera has previously served as the District Investigative Unit Commander for both the Eighth and Third Districts, as a Detective and Sergeant of the Homicide Division, and as a member of both the Special Operations Division Tactical and Motorcycle Units. Caprera received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Loyola University.
Walls, who joined NOPD in 1997, has served as commander of the Second District which oversees police services for the Uptown and Audubon areas of Orleans Parish. This area incorporates Audubon Park, the Audubon Zoo, as well as Tulane and Loyola Universities.
Walls has previously served as commander of the Third District, commander of the Eighth District, Sixth District DIU commander and overseeing the district’s homicide unit.
Walls has received several letters of commendation, a medal of achievement and two medals of commendation. He has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Bishop State Community College (AL), a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Loyola University and a Master’s in Homeland Security from Tulane University.
Gillard, currently second in command in the Second District is a 21-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department graduated from Saint Augustine High School in May of 1989 and graduated from Southern University in New Orleans in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Gillard began his career in the Third District in 1995 as a patrol officer and moved up to Task Force Officer in 1996. He was accepted into the Special Operations Division in 1998.
Gillard spent 11 years in the Special Operations Division until he was promoted to Sergeant in August of 2009. He was then transferred to the 6th District where he was a platoon supervisor for 11 months prior to overseeing the district’s task force unit in June of 2010.
Lieutenant Gillard was transferred to the 5th District in 2014 and served as a task force supervisor until May 2017, at which time he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.Gillard has received numerous including nine commendation letters, two unit citations, and six awarded medals including a lifesaving medal.