The monitoring team overseeing reforms of the New Orleans Police Department released its second compliance report Thursday.

The team found that the department is lagging in a number of areas, specifically in developing and submitting new policies required to undertake the mandated reforms.

Probably the most glaring omission thus far is a policy guiding how and when officers should use force. The monitor says the department’s current use-of-force policy does not comply with a federal consent decree.

The Police Department also lacks a policy on properly responding to and reporting sexual assaults, according to the report.

Also contained in the report are several tables analyzing police vehicle crashes, of which there were 1,620 between 2007 and 2013.

The Lens annotated the report for easier reading. Take a look.

Guided reading of the report

Click the “notes” tab on the upper left of the document viewer to see all the highlighted passages.


Charles Maldonado is the editor of The Lens. He previously worked as The Lens' government accountability reporter, covering local politics and criminal justice. Prior to joining The Lens, he worked for...

One reply on “Report: Police Department lacks policies on use of force, sexual assault reporting”

  1. I think it is a good start to have these policies written down for use of force and sexual assault reporting.

    YET, there are police policies written down for drunk driving and Louisiana still has the highest number of DWI in America and the insurance rates show it.

    WRITTEN POLICE POLICY versus PROMOTION OF STUPIDITY POLICY
    A written down policy policy is not the same as a City/State wide promotion of STUPIDITY like 24/7 alcohol and public intoxication.

    Likewise, if the FEDS want to really make a change, and actually see change, they have to look at the BIG PICTURE.

    For example, is a Written-Down Police Policy going to reduce the number of people from drinking too much and doing something stupid, like DWI or rape?

    New Orleans has an overall CULTURE that should not be saved, but completely dismantled, as it’s basically a irresponsible culture that got the city where it is today.

    Can New Orleans have 2 different policies? That is, can New Orleans have it both ways? Drink a lot (i.e. tourism) and not do something stupid?

    (Notice how America likes to refers to New Orleans as the Big Easy which doesn’t mean things like responsibility, hard working, etc….)

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