Orleans Parish Criminal Justice Accountability reports examine New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s DA’s Office from 2007 through the present. Reports released in 2007 through 2009 found a very high rate of arrests for low-level charges resulting in very short times that suspects were held in custody. These findings led to legislative reform on the city and state levels that granted officers greater discretion not to arrest non-violent, misdemeanor offenders, which contributed to a substantial decrease in arrests for minor charges. These reports also examine how well police and prosecutors collaborate to arrest and convict felony offenders that pose the greatest risk to community safety.
ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT MAY 2017: 2013-2016 Arrests and Felony Case Outcomes (May 21, 2017)
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – MAY 2015 (May 20, 2015)
Amidst an increase in reported crime, a smaller police force increased arrests for violent felony crimes as police and prosecutors maintained effective collaboration on the most serious crimes addressed by the local criminal justice system. Results also call for the criminal justice system to reduce the high rate of arrests for low-level warrants and a reduction in the rate of felony arrests being downgraded to misdemeanor offenses.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jan 14, 2015)
Although police manpower continued to slide, police maintained focus on felony arrests as police and prosecutors increased the rate at which felony arrests were successfully translated into felony prosecutions. The report also finds greater delays in reaching decisions whether or not to prosecute people arrested for a felony offense.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – JUNE 2014 (Jun 4, 2014)
A smaller police department generated fewer arrests, in part by increasing the use of summonses for low level offenses. Improved police and prosecutor collaboration to make effective decisions on whether or not to prosecute people arrested for felony charges caused a reduction in dismissed cases and fewer not guilty verdicts.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – NOVEMBER 2013 (Nov 20, 2013)
This reports documents reductions in arrests and felony cases processed by the criminal justice system that may largely be attributable to police manpower falling to a 35-year low.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – MAY 2013 (May 12, 2013)
This report examines 2012 arrests and the outcomes of all 2011 felony arrests. It finds total arrests increased in 2012 for the first time in four years as the New Orleans Police Department took custody of greater numbers of out of parish fugitives wanted for minor violations. Analysis also finds felony conviction rates remained elevated compared to previous years as a result of increased coordination between police and prosecutors.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – DECEMBER 2012 (Dec 5, 2012)
Analysis of the numbers of total arrests, felony cases accepted for prosecution, and closed felony cases shows a reversal of the trend of fewer arrests as police began arresting more individuals wanted on minor out of parish warrants. The report also finds fewer felony arrests coupled with fewer new felony cases entering the court system. However, total numbers of felony convictions increased in the first half of 2012 compared to the previous year and felony convictions resulting in sentences to incarceration were at their highest levels since the MCC began tracking in 2007.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – MAY 2012 (May 14, 2012)
Analyzing Orleans Parish arrest statistics shows a significant drop in arrests from 2009 through 2011 with the largest reductions in arrests for misdemeanor, traffic, and municipal violations. The report also finds a continued increase in felony arrest to felony conviction rates for 2010 arrests.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – NOVEMBER 2011 (Nov 7, 2011)
An examination of criminal justice system performance from the beginning of 2009 through the first half of 2011 finds substantial reductions in arrests with the largest decreases in arrests for misdemeanor, municipal, and traffic violations. The report also shows wide variations in the numbers of felony cases accepted for prosecution and closed felony cases from the second half of 2010 through the first half of 2011.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – JUNE 2011 (Jun 20, 2011)
This report finds significant improvements in arrest to conviction rates for 2009, the first full year Lean Cannizzaro served as Orleans Parish District Attorney. The report also tracks arrests which declined 21% from the first half of 2010 to the second half of 2010 with the largest reductions in arrests for minor offenses. Changes in criminal justice system performance demonstrates the beginning of reforms with opportunities for continued improvement.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – FALL 2010 (Dec 21, 2010)
Violent felony convictions continued to increase over the first six months of 2010. Other positive trends in criminal justice performance include greater numbers of trials to resolve difficult cases, higher rates of felony arrests resulting in prosecutions, and lower rates of cases being dismissed. The report also finds a high percentage of arrests for minor out of parish warrants that result in little time in jail.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 2009 ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jun 23, 2010)
In this seventh report tracking the overall performance of the New Orleans criminal justice system, the MCC finds that the New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office increased felony convictions and prosecutions, but police’s strategy of arresting thousands of suspects for minor offenses results in an arrest rate more than three times the national average.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – FALL 2009 (Nov 2, 2009)
Through the first six months of 2009, improvements in coordination between the New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office led to significant increases in new felony cases accepted for prosecution and increases felony convictions. The report also finds that high numbers of arrests for minor offenses continue to consume an inordinate amount of police manpower without benefitting community safety.
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ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – SPRING 2009 (May 5, 2009)
Tracking arrests from 2007 found that only 3% of the more than 58,000 arrests in Orleans Parish resulted in felony convictions. Arrest trends show that the NOPD is reducing the number of municipal arrests in favor of municipal citations. However, changes in state law have not had the intended effect of reducing arrests for misdemeanor warrants.
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Click here to view Senate Bill 71 regarding municipal warrants
Click here to view New Orleans City Council Ordinance specifying municipal arrest criteria
ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – JANUARY THROUGH JUNE 2008 (Oct 14, 2008)
In the fourth report examining New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office performance, the MCC finds that there continues to be a large number of arrests for minor offenses and a high dismissal rate for felony cases. The MCC respectfully recommends that the entire criminal justice system better focus its resources on felony crimes of violence.
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THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER 2007 ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Feb 19, 2008)
In this, the third report analyzing the performance of the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, the MCC identifies numerous positive trends in criminal justice system performance as well as areas to target for further improvements. Although there were more felony cases accepted for prosecution and more felony convictions in the latter part of 2007, arrests for minor offenses and a high dismissal rate were poor utilizations of criminal justice system resources.
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SECOND QUARTER 2007 ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
(Oct 2, 2007)
The second quarterly report identifies several advances in criminal justice system performance as well as some areas to target for improvement. The main improvements include more arrests for violent felony offenses and more felony convictions. Areas to target for additional improvement include increasing the overall severity of arrest offenses and producing more convictions for violent felony offenses.
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FIRST QUARTER 2007 ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jun 12, 2007)
In the first quarterly report on the 2007 performance of the New Orleans criminal justice system, the Metropolitan Crime Commission found a high number of arrests resulting in fewer felony prosecution compared to before Hurricane Katrina. Recommendations include reducing the number of municipal and traffic arrests and assigning Assistant District Attorneys to work more closely with the New Orleans Police Department within district stations.
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