See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Across the board, people respect him, Lundy said. Ferguson's career includes numerous periods in the NOPD Second District, which spans from Napoleon Avenue upriver through the Audubon, university, Carrollton, [] Jacob Lundy, a former NOPD officer who resigned in 2017 after 10 years and works as a criminal justice consultant, worked under Ferguson in the 2nd District when he joined the department. This time Ferguson and his parents saw a different police force. Thank you New Orleans! He gave this city his very best the safety and wellbeing of each and every resident and visitor was always his top priority, said Mayor LaToya Cantrell in a statement. For Shaun Ferguson, a West Bank police 'brotherhood' helped drive his rise to NOPD chief, BY MATT SLEDGE AND RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS | msledge@theadvocate.com rvargas@theadvocate.com, Domestic violence charges against NOPD chief's son dropped; case was set for trial Monday, Witness to Mardi Gras killings on initial silence: 'I was trying to kill' shooters, avenge family, Former New Orleans police chief unanimously confirmed as Baltimore's new police commissioner, For the 3rd straight year, New Orleans sees a steep drop in murders, Who is Jonette Williams? Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Access open City data via download or API. In terms of the way theyre behaving toward each other, I'm not sure how much worse it can get," said Chervenak. Fergusons exit comes as a new charter amendment is set to take effect Jan. 1, giving the council the power to confirm or deny mayoral appointments to key posts, including police chief. Since then, the city has faced countless challenges the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, two major hurricanes, a global pandemic, global inflation and a nationwide shortage of public safety personnel that New Orleans was certainly not immune to. We just stayed together. Ferguson, who turned 50 this year, said he didn't change his mind. He tested at .03, well below the legal driving limit of .08. NEW ORLEANS In a seismic shake-up that has been widely rumored for months, NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson is . Updated: Dec 7, 2022 / 09:40 AM CST. "I would like to extend the most heartfelt thank you to Chief Ferguson for your nearly 25 years of service, selflessness and sacrifice, especially in accepting my appointment of you as Chief in January 2019. "We all loved Everett and we owe it to his memory to do what we can to make sure his. You have permission to edit this article. In December 2022, Mayor Latoya Cantrell appointed Woodfork as Interim Superintendent of the New Orlean Police Department. The 21-year veteran was a relative unknown when Mayor LaToya Cantrell tapped him to replace outgoing chief Michael Harrison, who left for the top police job in Baltimore. HomeNew Orleans Police Department Administration Superintendent of Police. In 2012, Woodfork was selected by former Superintendent Ronal Serpas to launch the Alternative Police Response Unit, where she served as Commander. According to Ferguson, he has no plans after retirement and will remain in the city to see what God has to offer him. Laws governing the City of New Orleans: Home Rule Charter, Code of Ordinances and the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Amid building pressure, New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will retire from his position effective Dec. 22, according to city officials. Officers grievances included cronyism, favoritism, and being promoted based on who you know and not on ability or experience, she said of the results. Hes just a really sincere person. Ferguson said his decision to retire was an emotional one. Commercial audiobook. He also says he believes the next Superintendent of the NOPD should come from inside the NOPD. NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson has announced his retirement 'This is my decision:' Emotional Ferguson explains his retirement as They made a very powerful team in the 2nd District, Scharf said. FILE - New Orleans Police Supt. He was promoted to that job in March 2014, near the end of former superintendent Ronal Serpas tenure. Fergusons tenure he would have reached four years as chief next month -- is fairly standard for New Orleans police chiefs, who serve at the will of the mayor. I have not stopped talking to Chief Harrison since he left. His tenure as Chief saw the national rise in crime due to the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but under his diligent leadership, the NOPD persevered. He liked the idea of putting the pieces of the puzzle together on complicated investigations. His sons legal problems aside, Ferguson said he is focused on the task of overseeing the roughly 1,200 officers who patrol what is still one of the countrys most dangerous cities. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Adamant that he was not pressured to leave his post as the NOPD's superintendent, a solemn and sometimes emotional Shaun Ferguson on Wednesday (Dec. 7) said his decision to . The clientele back then was rougher, recalled Barnes, a friend of Ferguson's back then, and now an NOPD public information officer. We have also seen more illegal guns being taken off our streets, with nearly 2,500 illegal guns seized just this year. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. Ferguson told McMain students at the rally that by spearheading the event and planning a march to City Hall, they demonstrated their leadership to the community. None of the responding officers noticed signs of impairment, but as per NOPD policy, Ferguson took a blood alcohol test. shooting in gentilly new orleans Shaun Ferguson says its time to go home | WGNO.com 'This is my decision:' Emotional Ferguson explains his retirement as Also pushing for a national search was The Nola Coalition, a broad group of business and civic groups formed this year amid an ongoing surge in carjackings, shootings and murder. Please include the headline. COVID hit. Cantrells warm impression of Ferguson remained with her when, early last month, Harrison said he was stepping down to take over Baltimores troubled department. Ferguson said that when he finally sat down in his office at the 4th District, he looked back on a profession that had started as just a job but became a calling. He gave this city his very best the safety and wellbeing of each and every resident and visitor was always his top priority," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. We just kind of hit it off from there.. Ferguson faced difficult times during his tenure as superintendent. "Its time to go home. To the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department, I love you," Ferguson said. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan earlier this year pumped the brakes on plans to move the NOPD into a two-year offramp from federal oversight. I also want to thank the men & women of the NOPD for their continued hard work and service its citizens. The City of New Orleans will soon bid farewell to a great leader, a great partner and a great friend. Williams would make history by becoming the first female Superintendent in NOPD history. He will be sworn in Friday. After 24 years of dedicated public service to the City of New Orleans, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will retire at the end of this year. Pennington came as a reform agent, and upon doing so, he earned a lot of the communitys trust, he said. Woodfork is a graduate of St. Marys Academy High School. Yet, you faced all of these seemingly insurmountable hurdles with dignity, grace and determination. New Orleans, LA 70119, Phone(504) 658-5757 Officers issued a warrant for Shane Ferguson, who turned himself in within days. During his tenure, he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Southern University of New Orleans and also received a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. Superintendent Woodfork is a 32-year veteran of the department, joining the NOPD on Jan. 27, 1991. Moments after dropping his two sons off at their school bus stop, Ainsworth was fatally shot in Algiers Point while trying to defend a woman who was being carjacked. He gave this city his very best - the safety and . Woman, 73, Was Allegedly Dragged to Death in Carjacking by 4 Teens Hurricane Ida and civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd's murder in Minnesota added to a grim scenario for police, Ferguson noted, as he urged the public and media to "look at the glass half full.". NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Adamant that he was not pressured to leave his post as the NOPD's superintendent, a solemn and sometimes emotional Shaun Ferguson on Wednesday (Dec. 7) said his decision to retire after 24 years on the city's police force was his and his alone. Ed Chervenak, a political scientist at UNO, said that he expects Cantrell to do so, and doubted that it would change her already sour relationship with the council. Ferguson heaped praise on the officers who remain while urging greater public support for them. December 1, 2022 12:50 pm. Ferguson was sworn in as superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department on Jan. 18, 2019. Shaun Ferguson, veteran of Uptown policing, chosen as new NOPD There werent many favorites. City Council member Freddie King was among the majority on the council calling for Cantrell to follow the voter-approved confirmation process. Ferguson was very vocal in the past year regarding crime and how the Orleans Parish district attorney handled convictions. Growing library of dashboards tracking City dat and initiatives. woman accused of using aunts debit card for 136 DoorDash orders held on preset $18 million bond, Newly installed Methodist bishop makes Louisiana history, called for Fergusons resignation last week, voters approved a Home Rule Charter change. You have permission to edit this article. He emphasized that he was not forced out and that he spoke about retiring to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell before Thanksgiving and even weighed his retirement during the budget hearings. The citys new chief took his oath with fanfare in front of Gallier Hall on Jan. 18. "I am grateful for the opportunity we had to work so closely together to improve our citys public safety through a collaborative, holistic approach and through working in tandem with other City departments.". Ferguson was hand-picked by Cantrell and had previously served as head of the training academy and commander of the second and fourth police districts in New Orleans. THE OUTGOING SUPERINTENDENT DISAGREES. SuperintendentWoodfork is a 32-year veteran of the department, joining the NOPD on Jan. 27, 1991. We need to support each other as we continue the work of making the city safe for its residents and visitors. Cantrell revealed Ferguson as her permanent choice on Jan. 14, breaking with the tradition of forming a search committee or appointing an interim chief who would be given time to meet the community before getting the job permanently. Your steadfastness in the face of these challenges and tragedies certainly has been a source of comfort to your fellow officers, affected families and victims and our community overall. Shaun Ferguson tells WGNO that she had been a nine-year veteran of the NOPD and called the event horrible news. He was a 13-year veteran of the NOPD. Sitting in his new corner office on the top floor of police headquarters, Ferguson smiled when he was asked about his favorite moments from that first tour of duty. MondayFriday He said that the data was not an indictment against officers who work for the NOPD and expressed his appreciation for the officers in the department. I talk to him almost every day, Ferguson said. 1 priority, said Ronal Serpas, a former NOPD superintendent who teaches at Loyola University. The department came calling again in 1998. I will still be your neighbor, and I will always be a part of the city that I love so much.. Ferguson quickly received a reminder that being the top cop comes with greater scrutiny. Ferguson was hired by NOPD in 1995, NOPD records show. Charles Southall, describes Ferguson as an upstanding community person and a man of faith.. The George Floyd social justice movement, Goyeneche said. Who is Shaun Ferguson, NOPD's next police chief? - NOLA.com It was a department in shambles, sullied by terrible crime statistics and violence coming from inside the department itself. As New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson reflected on his impending retirement while denying he was shoved out, a chorus rose Wednesday for Mayor . It has just humbled me throughout my career as to how to work with people, and how you should be a brotherhood-sisterhood with each other while taking care of your community.. "To the men and women of this city, I love you. Although crime had fallen under Penningtons watch, it still plagued much of the city, including Algiers. "Copyright 2023 The City of New Orleans"|Report Fraud|Site Policies & Information. It would be disingenuous to the appointee and the people of this city if there were any attempt to circumvent this process, therefore, I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage the public in a community discussion on this important next step.. Cantrell elevated him from 2nd District commander to the NOPDs top post after Harrison left. Moving forward, there should be a national search for a new police chief to find the best candidate to lead the NOPD. A little extra on my side where I could get those cases solved.. From a nearly 50-year low in homicides in 2019, shootings and murders have surged across the city. SO HAS THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO JOINED THE NOPD ALMOST 25 YEARS AGO. Ferguson announced his retirement Tuesday, Dec. 6 . Full divisional and bureau contact information here. Overall, Ferguson's work history, coupled with interviews with fellow cops, community members and other public officials, shows an officer equally comfortable charging through doors as shaking hands. He urged the council and other city leaders to work together and to stop political showmanship and "show up to the table" with open communication and ideas. MY FAMILY HAS ENDURED A LOT. Ferguson's final walk and salute will be held outside of Gallier Hall on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 11 a.m. Sources say Jonette Williams could be named the next NOPD superintendent. Dec 7, 2022 - 11:45 am. New Orleans police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson speaks during a news conference in New Orleans on Dec. 7, 2022. Shane Ferguson, the 21-year-old son of NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, was booked into the Orleans Justice Center jail on a charge of domestic-abuse battery Tuesday night, Jan. 22, 2019. Other questions that remain include whether Ferguson will be able to see the department through its federal consent decree and extend the recent drop in violent crime. Ferguson said he does not remember sending the messages, but that they were not out of character. Keen to name a successor quickly, Cantrell summoned Ferguson to her office on Jan. 9, two days after Harrison informed her he was leaving. In 2016, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, initially assigned to the 7th District before moving to the 2nd District under the supervision of then Commander Shaun Ferguson. My parents were not comfortable with me being on the job.. New Orleans police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson addressed his decision to resign from the NOPD on Wednesday. Whatever the city asks of me, he told her. Tell my wife that I love her, Barnes said. On Monday morning, NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson and Deputy Chief Superintendent John Thomas met for a press conference to discuss the incredibly violent weekend in the city. No additional details were immediately available about the dispute.". We have also seen more illegal guns being taken off our streets, with nearly 2,500 illegal guns seized just this year. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams criticized inconsistencies in NOPDs data and the FBIs data for arrests and solve rates. Several council members expressed concern that Cantrell will skirt that new vetting process by quickly naming a new superintendent. He was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and returned to the homicide beat from 2011 to 2012. According to Ferguson, he has no plans after retirement and will remain in the city to see what God has to offer him. In 2020, everything changed so cold. In the roughly five years between graduating high school and joining the force, he worked as a private security guard and as a maintenance assistant for the Army Corps of Engineers. His community-focused approach has helped mend the relationships between our officers and our residents. While Ferguson patrolled the French Quarter and Central Business District, colleagues across the river were involved in an incident that reopened the unhealed scars of the Algiers 7 shootings and erased trust the department had rebuilt under Pennington. View spatial City data including the popular Property Viewer and Streetwise. View Crime Maps, UCR Stats, NOPD Calls for Service and more. Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. It was too perilous. Ferguson faced difficult times during his tenure as superintendent. Williams was recently promoted to Deputy Superintendent in June. Updated: 2:59 PM CST December 6, 2022. When muckraking blogger Leigh Ferguson snoops down the wrong alley, she gets swept into X's bloody war with a politically powerful crime lord." Provided by publisher. They had an open-door policy, very community focused, excellent community policing skills.". New Orleans police hiring civilians to give traffic citations, respond Ferguson emerged from the aftermath of Katrina with no known blotches on his record. He called the profession of a police officer a "noble calling," saying it was a job that he put before his family for a long time. City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell called for Fergusons resignation last week as the council worked to approve the citys $1.5 billion budget, of which, $25 million would go towards a police recruitment and retention incentive package. WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER. FERGUSON ALSO SURE TO ADDRESS HIS CRITICS, SOME OF WHOM WORK AT CITY HALL. THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE FROM DOING THEIR JOB. He is also a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. AND RIGHT NOW, FERGUSON TELLS US HE HAS NO PLANS ONCE HE OFFICIALLY RETIRES ON DECEMBER 22ND. WE BEGIN AT FIVE WITH THE FINAL MESSAGE FROM NOPD SUPERINTENDENT SEAN FERGUSON. The son of the newly sworn-in head of the New Orleans Police Department was arrested Tuesday (Jan. 22) in connection with a domestic dispute that occurred over the weekend, according to NOPD spokesman Andy Cunningham. shooting in gentilly new orleans New NOPD chief sworn in following emotional send-off for former superintendent, Jonette Williams could be named the next NOPD superintendent. Emergency Calls: 911. 9 talking about this. Deputy superintendent eyed to become NOPD's first female superintendent. No more getting up trying to see whats going on., A day after her handpicked police chief announced his resignation, and following months of controversies over her use of official perks, Mayor. You cant ignore he just kept getting one left hook after another.. Ferguson said Monday he also received a masters decree from SUNO. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Jan. 14 announced the 46-year-old Ferguson as her choice to replace former chief Michael Harrison, who has taken a job as police commissioner in Baltimore. No matter how much money we throw at these officers, were not listening to them, said Morrell. Ferguson and other officers rushed to the scene of the shooting. J.P. Morrell repeats call to replace NOPD Chief Ferguson He didnt have the political support from the political leadership to offer raises to officers that the crime commission and other groups called for in 2020. As they walked side by side during a neighborhood "walk against crime" one day, he noticed her picking up trash. I did not ever imagine myself on the other side of the desk as the commanding officer, he said. Barnes was hit, and blood poured out of him as his fellow officers tried to help.