New Orleans Inspector General Edward Michel urged Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Friday to conduct a national search for Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson's successor.
In a letter to the mayor, Michel advised appointing an interim superintendent to take the reins when Ferguson leaves Dec. 22 and to serve during a broad call and vetting of candidates for the long-term police chief.
"A national search and appointment of the most qualified candidate will protect our most valuable resource, our citizens and guests," Michel said.
Timing is a political issue for Cantrell, because voters have approved a new law making her appointment of a police chief subject to City Council ratification. It takes effect Jan. 1; if she picks a chief before then, the council has no vote.
As soon as Ferguson tendered his resignation, on Dec. 6, some insiders said the mayor was poised to appoint Deputy Superintendent Jonette Williams to take over. But most City Council members want a national search, as do the Police & Justice Foundation and The Nola Coalition, a broad group of business and civic groups formed this year amid a surge in carjackings, shootings and murder.
Cantrell promoted Ferguson to superintendent without a national search or process of public consultation in January 2019, when her popularity was considerably higher at the time. If she goes the same route now, City Council member Helena Moreno said earlier this month, it would be "disingenuous to the candidate, and it's disingenuous to the people of this city, who overwhelmingly said that they wanted a different type of process."
Michel cited cities such as Baltimore and Atlanta as models for New Orleans, saying that they, among 59% of U.S. cities, have used search committees with national reach to find a new leader. He also asserted that a "rushed appointment could lead to the loss of public trust and jeopardize success of selection."
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