BEEN THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, CIVIL UNREST, HURRICANES, TWO WEEKS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND NONE OF THAT STUFF. NOPD Supt. Shaun Ferguson discusses violent weekend in the city - WGNO Ferguson said he paused and let out a deep breath before responding. According to Ferguson, he has no plans after retirement and will remain in the city to see what God has to offer him. "About Jonette Williams:Jonette Williams spent most of her career working in the Public Affairs Division and the Fourth District.Williams was recently promoted to Deputy Superintendent in June. Ferguson also sits on the board of the Jugs Social Club, which organizes the historically black Krewe of NOMTOC's Carnival parade on the west bank. He also navigated the department at a time when the police commission says there is a critical shortage of officers. We just stayed together. 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. Reform-minded Superintendent Richard Pennington, hired in 1994, had managed to put the department on a new course. Various boards, commissions and districts defined in both City and State law. The storm brought out the best and worst in the NOPD. Commercial audiobook. 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.. You have permission to edit this article. New Orleans Police Department Commander Shaun Ferguson was named the citys new police superintendent on Monday (Jan. 14) by Mayor LaToya Cantrell. After 24 years of dedicated public service to the City of New Orleans, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will retire at the end of this year. Williams would become the first woman to serve as New Orleans top law enforcement officer and the first Black female NOPD superintendent. I could not have done my job without their support, and I will always be grateful for that. New Orleans police superintendent retires amid controversy in America's He tested at .03, well below the legal driving limit of .08. Given his deep community ties, Ferguson may have been destined to cross paths with LaToya Cantrell, who began as a neighborhood organizer before becoming a City Council member and then mayor. I WAS NOT FORCED. 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. 2018. Its not because Shaun Ferguson didnt care. Ferguson was sworn in as superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department on Jan. 18, 2019. After 24 years of dedicated public service to the City of New Orleans, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson will retire at the end of this year. Ferguson said the detectives on the case deserve the credit for the arrest and conviction of the suspect, Kendall Harrison, whos now serving a life sentence. With the department now in his hands, Ferguson suggested he would like to hold onto proven strategies while making tweaks where needed. Ferguson currently serves as commander of the Education and Training Division, which oversees the police academy. He will be sworn in Friday. Ferguson said it was time to focus on family, and he felt confident that he had made a difference in his time with the police department. Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department NOPD Interim Chief Michelle Woodfork Prior to training the next generation of NOPD officers, he served as Commander of the Second District from 2016 to 2018. New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson speaks during a press conference in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Published: Sep. 8, 2022 at 8:55 PM PDT. During his tenure, he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Southern University of New Orleans, where he also received a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. "I also want to thank the citizens of this great city for their kind words and support during my tenure. He was promoted to that job in March 2014, near the end of former superintendent Ronal Serpas tenure. 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. 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. A majority of City Council members were among those chafing at word that Cantrell has already chosen a successor in Jonette Williams, a deputy police chief who would become the first woman to lead the NOPD. Whether you are a local resident, visitor, or business, NOLA-311 will provide a prompt, courteous and professional customer service experience. Through a spokesman, Ferguson called the misstatement a typo, adding that he meant to refer to a different metric that did in fact decline according to internal department records. J.P. Morrell repeats call to replace NOPD Chief Ferguson Yet, you faced all of these seemingly insurmountable hurdles with dignity, grace and determination. One of the church's members, Henry Glovers aunt Rebecca, said she wishes him well. He was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and returned to the homicide beat from 2011 to 2012. View spatial City data including the popular Property Viewer and Streetwise. Shaun Ferguson says its time to go home | WGNO.com Who is Shaun Ferguson, NOPDs next police chief? I will still be your neighbor and I will always be a part of this city that I love so much.". Ferguson served with the department for 23 years, with three of those years in the top position of the department. Shootings are up 87%. AND I THINK THAT IS MY GRADE A COP. Pennington came as a reform agent, and upon doing so, he earned a lot of the communitys trust, he said. He also thanked Cantrell for supporting him throughout his tenure as chief, saying she often stood by his side when others called for him to stand down. "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. Today, only one officer involved in the case is in prison the one who burned the car with Glovers body inside. shooting in gentilly new orleans Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) Program, Community Assets and Investment, Office of, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, New Orleans Office of, Information Technology and Innovation, Office of, Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, Neighborhood Engagement, Mayor's Office of, New Orleans Municipal Employees Retirement System, New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD), Public Library, New Orleans (Main Branch), NOPD Searching for Suspects in Third District Shooting, MAYOR CANTRELL TO ATTEND U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS WINTER LEADERSHIP MEETING AND ASPEN IDEAS: CLIMATE CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA, Alcoholic Beverage Outlet (ABO) Processing Fee, NOPD InvestigatingHomicidein Fifth District, MAYOR CANTRELL ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF BOB TUCKER, Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office Announces Launch of New Civic Leadership Academy Cohort, TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Temporary Lane Closure at 1400 Block of St. Charles Avenue, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF $6.4 MILLION ROADWORK PROJECT IN WEST END, NOPD to Conduct Upcoming Sobriety Checkpoints on March 9, March 16, Including victim assistance, accident and incident reports, and how to file complaints or commendations, Professional Standards & Accountability Bureau, Traffic Signals/Signs/Striping/Streetlights. Tell my wife that I love her, Barnes said. According to Ferguson, his family had endured "a lot" during his tenure as chief and thanked them for their support. 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. Ferguson was sworn in as superintendent in January 2019 after serving as the Commander of the Educational and Training Division. By Chris Miller. Algiers was a tough place to be a cop as Ferguson was moving up the ranks, and developing relationships with the community while remaining tough on criminals was a daily battle. Warren Riley served five years as chief, and Eddie Compass served three. 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. Rafael Goyeneche of the Metropolitan Crime Commission says Ferguson was a dedicated officer and police chief. While this is a family matter, Chief Ferguson wants to be clear that the NOPD will conduct a proper and complete investigation just like we do in every case, Cunningham said. 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. This is my decision. His other jobs shortly after high school included a salesman at Maison Blanche and a mail clerk assistant at Conoco Oil Co. in Algiers. Since then, she has been assigned to five of the NOPDs eight districts at the rank of Patrol Officer, Sergeant, and Lieutenant. Ferguson, who turned 50 this year, said he didn't change his mind. WDSU FIRST BROKE THE NEWS YESTERDAY THAT THE TOP COP WOULD RETIRE BY THE END OF THE YEAR. Officers grievances included cronyism, favoritism, and being promoted based on who you know and not on ability or experience, she said of the results. 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.". Ferguson joined the NOPD in December 1998. AT A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY, HE SAID HIS FAMILY IS AGAIN AT THE HEART OF THIS DECISION. Ferguson announced his retirement from the NOPD a few weeks ago. You have permission to edit this article. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. He will be sworn in Friday. They've been 100 percent, anything I needed, anything I wanted, Barnes said. Jonette Williams spent most of her career working in the Public Affairs Division and the Fourth District. Still, for the remainder of the month the mayor has the authority to pick her own police chief without running the choice by the council. FILE - New Orleans Police Supt. Civic leaders push for national search for new NOPD chief, Shaun Ferguson says the decision to retire was his alone, BY JOHN SIMERMAN AND MATT SLEDGE | Staff writers, Mayor LaToya Cantrell gives State of the City address: 'Tired of fightingready to build'. SO SUPERINTENDENT SEAN FERGUSON ADMITTED HAS BEEN A REALLY EMOTIONAL WEEK AND THAT HES ACTUALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT RETIREMENT. From a nearly 50-year low in homicides in 2019, shootings and murders have surged across the city. Superintendent Woodfork is a native New Orleanian and life-long resident of New Orleans East. Charles Southall, describes Ferguson as an upstanding community person and a man of faith.. Ferguson was tasked, in part, with shepherding the department into full compliance with a police reform agreement overseen by a federal judge, and clearing the NOPD from federal oversight. In a lengthy interview detailing his career, Ferguson said he was accepted into the police academy, but after talking with his parents, he backed out. He was left with gunshot wounds to his right lung and left leg. As Superintendent, Chief Ferguson helped shape the NOPD into a strong, trustworthy, professional and efficient department, capable of repairing the broken rapport between the NOPD and our citizens and business owners. He liked the idea of putting the pieces of the puzzle together on complicated investigations. He also says he believes the next Superintendent of the NOPD should come from inside the NOPD. Noel and Ferguson worked together in the 2nd District when Noel was the commander there. 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. NOPD Supt. The cause of Glover's death was kept under wraps for years. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, flanked by city councilmembers and assorted . Thats one reason Cantrell should open up the search for Ferguson's replacement, he said. Should Ferguson continue to work as a police officer in some capacity, he could keep contributing to his state retirement package. They made a very powerful team in the 2nd District, Scharf said. 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. "I just hope that nothing is done in the selection of this new chief that would make the public lose confidence in the city, and city leadership," said King. 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. Departing NOPD chief Shaun Ferguson denies he was pushed out | Crime Leave an email address and we'll do our best to respond! The team quickly won recognition for their hands-on approach. MORGANS HEY TRAVERS. "Its time to go home. 2021. 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. As the number of officers started to go down, we saw a violent crime surge in the city - up 136% over the last three years. Ferguson was hired by NOPD in 1995, NOPD records show. SO HAS THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO JOINED THE NOPD ALMOST 25 YEARS AGO. He opened it up to fellow officers. Before this, he commanded NOPDs Fourth District from 2014 to 2016. The 2nd District also includes the mayors neighborhood of Broadmoor. 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. Hes just a really sincere person. 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. Emily Lane, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, named the citys new police superintendent, Who is Jonette Williams? We dont have to go anywhere.. He gave this city his very best - the safety and . At the time of his appointment to Chief, he was serving as the Commander of the Educational and Training Division, which oversees the police academy. Richard Pennington, the only NOPD chief since 1980 who didnt rise through local law enforcement ranks, served eight years under former Mayor Marc Morial beginning in 1994, the city's high-water mark for deadly violence. Unrated. Talking Book Topics March-April 2023 - National Library Service for the New Orleans, LA 70119, Hours of Operation This time Ferguson and his parents saw a different police force. 715 South Broad St It is vital that the community continue its support for this department, the statement continues. Deputy superintendent eyed to become NOPD's first female superintendent.