The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) usually comes with a negative connotation, unfortunately, because of reports over the last decade of public corruption and ineffectiveness.
The structure of NOPD could all be changing if Rep. JP Morrell's (D-New Orleans) plan to reform the department gets the 'okay' from state legislators.
Here's what Morrell's legislation would do: The NOPD would be merged with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, another embattled agency. A 13-member task force would be in charge of examining just how bad law enforcement is in the city of New Orleans. Additionally, the task force would look into what it would cost to combine NOPD and the Sheriff's Office and what it would cost if they did not merge together. Redundant positions within both agencies would be reviewed and eliminated if designated. Morrell's also has partner legislation that would create a commission to make sure law enforcement agencies in New Orleans and security districts collaborated with one another. The task force would report on the matter in 2017.
The only issue with Morrell's proposed law enforcement reform is that it does not simply reform the agencies, but rather creates a task force. And if there is anything that is more ineffective than bad law enforcement, it is task forces created by state legislators, who end up not producing reports and finding solutions.