This is precisely why Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu’s transition task force is generating so much attention. Yesterday afternoon, Talking Points Memo caught up with Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, who heads the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. He confirmed the feds are considering suing the NOPD to force reform measures under court order and federal […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Amid gunfire, Landrieu throws the weakest brick of all
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu was awfully defensive in last week’s press conference about his search for a new police superintendent. Responding to internal criticism from four now-former members of his transition task force, Landrieu accused those who went public with their objections of being divisive. “People in this town have learned how to throw bricks rather […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
If you worked at City Hall, you’d be home now
Mayor Ray Nagin announced his decision in January to close city offices indefinitely on Friday, groans were heard far and wide. Need a construction permit? That’ll have to wait until Monday. Want to file your homestead exemption? Talk to a City Council member? Hold those thoughts. It seemed like the only people not rolling their […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Landrieu: Those who quit chief search were throwing bricks, not building bridges
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu reiterated Wednesday the position that his transition team is a private effort not subject to state sunshine laws and that the public has no right to see the names of all 75 applicants for police chief. Commenting on the four members of his 21- search team who quit in frustration over the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What do you want to ask Landrieu about chief search?
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu plans a 3:30 p.m. press conference today to discuss his controversial search for a new police chief as well as other matters related to his transition. What would you like The Lens to ask him? Send you thoughts in an e-mail to editor@TheLensNola.org and we’ll do our best to get them answered. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council president seeks oversight for economic development loans
City Council President Arnie Fielkow plans to introduce an ordinance this week that would require council approval for all loans from the Urban Development Action Grant fund, increasing public oversight of a development subsidy most recently awarded to Zulu organization and the Inspire entertainment complex in the Seventh Ward. The UDAG program is a loan […]
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Lucrative stimulus contract for green jobs in New Orleans goes to group with least to offer
By Brentin Mock – staff writer – A federal program to weatherize homes of low-income families had been a fairly low-budget, low-profile affair in Louisiana. Then the stimulus program came along.
Posted inCriminal Justice
It ain’t hot potato: Landrieu must clutch chief search
Danatus King of the NAACP Baty Landis of Silence is Violence Gina Womack of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children Norris Henderson of VOTE These are community leaders and important stakeholders in efforts to reform our criminal justice system and repair our broken police department. They were all named to Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu’s 21-member […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
IG releases annual report wrapping up tough year
The Office of Inspector General completed 15 of the 22 investigations it opened in 2009, according to an annual report the office submitted to the city Tuesday. “Most of the investigations concerned relatively minor matters. However, The Crime Surveillance Camera inspection revealed multiple evasions of competitive requirements, and generated suspicions of corruption in contract administration,” […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Facebook rhetoric reveals mindset of beleaguered NOPD officers and supporters
The Police Association of New Orleans held a fund-raiser over the weekend supporting Special Operations unit veterans Capt. Jeff Winn and Lt. Dwayne Scheuermann and the police officer union’s rapidly depleting legal defense budget. Winn and Scheuermann are under federal investigation in connection with the death of Henry Glover, whose remains were found in the […]