For over 30 years, I, like many others, have chosen a life of service. I come from a family rich in tradition and embedded in law enforcement, which prompted me to join the New Orleans Police Department.
Since the day I was sworn in as superintendent of the NOPD, I have been working to transform the department into one that embraces transparency, accountability, fairness and professionalism.
My immediate actions included developing and implementing my strategic crime plan focusing on reducing violent crime, retention and recruitment, community engagement and full consent decree compliance. These are all areas which I thought were important to not only NOPD but the whole community.
When I assumed command in December, the city was experiencing a significant uptick in violent crime. This year, we have made considerable progress in curbing this violence, but I also know more needs to be done.
Violent crimes have decreased by 18% in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, including decreases in homicides, nonfatal shootings, armed robberies and carjackings. The murder clearance rate for 2023 is 47.4%, compared to 44.3% in 2022, and our murder solve rate is 51.3%, compared to 53.4% in 2022.
We are closely collaborating with our federal and state partners by sharing intelligence data to solve crimes, targeting the most violent offenders and getting firearms off our streets. So far this year, we have seized a total of 1,002 guns and made 389 firearm arrests, representing a 43.9% and a 75% increase, respectively, compared to the same period in 2022.
While we have seen decreases in violent crimes, unfortunately, there has been a 15% increase in property crimes for 2023 compared to this time in 2022. This figure has mainly been driven by the rise in auto thefts, specifically of Kias and Hyundais. The NOPD has been working with the national manufacturers to provide free wheel locks for owners of these types of vehicles.
Collaboration with internal and external partners is crucial in our public safety efforts. The NOPD is actively participating in the Mayor’s Violent Crime Reduction Task Force to aid in investigations and to provide community outreach and engagement in a holistic way. This involves working with local, state and federal agencies to promote responsible gun ownership by giving out free gun locks and offering community gun safety classes for our citizens.
We have enhanced the NOPD Citizens Police Academy by including our new Junior Citizens Police Academy, which provides our youth with a firsthand education on various aspects of law enforcement. This summer, we are restarting midnight basketball and introducing gaming labs. I have also been participating in prayer walks, attending church services and community meetings to directly engage with our citizens.
The key to a safer city is the recruitment, development and retention of skilled officers. Thanks to the efforts of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, the City Council and the Civil Service Commission, current commissioned officers have begun receiving retention pay based on their years of service. As a result, we have reinstated four former officers with four more currently in background. Our officers put their lives on the line daily, and these bonuses are most deserved.
In addition, members of my command staff and I have been connecting with current officers by regularly attending roll calls as well as meeting with representatives of the Police Association of New Orleans, the Black Organization of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police.
Since I assigned new leadership in recruitment, we have begun to see more traction in recruiting efforts. We have hired 39 recruits so far this year, which is more than the total number hired last year. Civilian support staff is also essential, easing the burden for officers in the field. As such, we added over 100 new positions, placing most of them in key areas such as police intake specialists, crime lab analysts and social workers. We have hired a total of nearly 70 new civilians.
Additionally, I have refocused our efforts in achieving full compliance with the federal consent decree and moving our department to the self-monitoring phase. Today, our records indicate that we are at 86% compliance. In the spirit of transparency, our team continues to publish our audits and reports online, and we welcome the public to review the data.
I remain steadfast in my commitment to continue to lead this department anchored in 21st-century constitutional policing.
Michelle Woodfork is superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department.
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