By: Jonah Gilmore
The New Orleans Police Department says it is entering a new era, one focused on accountability, precision and transparency, as federal oversight comes to an end.
Top department leaders sat down with WDSU, stressing that the work behind these reforms began long before the consent decree officially lifted.
Over the past year, NOPD has advanced a slate of modernization efforts aimed at strengthening internal controls, improving documentation and ensuring policies are carried out consistently across all districts and divisions.
These changes include clearer supervisor guidance, upgraded timekeeping procedures, more rigorous documentation standards, and enhanced internal tracking tools designed to improve accuracy and reduce errors.
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the department is committed to proving that accountability and reform do not depend on external monitoring.
“The community expects a police department that is precise, consistent and transparent. These improvements reflect our commitment to earning public trust through continuous improvement, not crisis response,” said Kirkpatrick.
A major part of NOPD’s modernization effort involves overhauling how staffing and overtime are handled. The department has introduced new biometric timekeeping systems at district stations and is evaluating additional technology to further reduce inaccuracies and prevent abuse.
Historically, overtime tracking relied on manual entries, systems that supervisors say created unnecessary room for mistakes. The new approach requires officers to physically clock in and out of overtime assignments, tightening oversight and simplifying review.
“They used to fill out trip sheets and say what they did and the hours they worked, and the supervisor would put that in,” said Ganthier.
Kirkpatrick said the department is now aligning deployments based on peak needs, reducing unnecessary overtime and focusing resources in areas with the highest crime or the greatest operational demands. That includes major events like Mardi Gras, special deployments and districts experiencing upticks in violence.
Assistant Superintendent Hans Ganthier said data guides where overtime is allocated and how much each district receives.
“We’re reducing hours where we can but prioritizing districts with higher crime or larger geographic demands. As the systems prove effective, we’ll continue scaling back overtime responsibly,” said Ganthier.
Ganthier, who has been with NOPD since before the consent decree, said the department’s internal culture is dramatically different than it was more than a decade ago.
Processes that didn’t exist before, such as weekly audit reviews, standardized policies, and modernized tracking, are now deeply embedded in the department’s operations. As a result, officers have seen morale improve and crime strategies become more data-driven.
“It’s a sense of accomplishment,” said Ganthier.
The department’s push to modernize goes well beyond overtime. NOPD is now using new data platforms such as Mark43 and Paragon to link crime trends, identify suspects with shared characteristics and pinpoint zones requiring heavier patrols.
Kirkpatrick said technology gives officers a clearer picture of which strategies work and which don’t.
“Data informs us. It tells us how our policing strategies are working, and it’s part of why we continue to see improvements in violent crime,” said Kirkpatrick.
The superintendent has also requested a department-wide audit from the Office of Inspector General, emphasizing that independent review is part of NOPD’s long-term plan, not a response to any single issue. Routine internal reviews, community feedback, and monitoring are already used to identify concerns and launch administrative investigations when necessary.
“A modern police department does not wait for others to identify areas for improvement, we identify them ourselves, we act on them, and we hold ourselves to the standards our community deserves,” said Kirkpatrick.
While NOPD does not discuss ongoing administrative investigations, leaders say updates will continue as the department advances its internal control improvements.
As New Orleans enters its first year without federal oversight in more than a decade, police leaders say the goal is simple: maintain public safety while proving the department can uphold the reforms it worked years to build and continue raising the bar.
“We’re going to embrace every single form of reform that we have spent 13 years accomplishing,” said Kirkpatrick.
Original Story: https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-police-department-launches-internal-controls-enters-new-era-of-self-oversight/69598879
