DECADES OF CORRUPTION

Overhaul for New Orleans Police

Largest such agreement in DOJ history.

Attorney General Eric Holder, alongside New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, is spearheading an overhaul of the New Orleans Police Department—the most wide ranging ever implemented by the Justice Department in its history. The police department’s decades of corruption and disorganization were highlighted by the chaos following Hurricane Katrina, which included several police shootings. “There can be no question that today’s action represents a critical step forward,” said Holder. “It reaffirms the Justice Department’s commitment to fair and vigorous law enforcement at every level.” The agreement lays out a number of requirements New Orleans police must meet regarding training, interrogations, recruitment, searches, arrests, supervision, and use of force.