New Orleans, LA – June 28 at 8:30 a.m., a dozen people rallied outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building on Poydras Street with New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP). They demanded the New Orleans Police Department Consent Decree, the most expansive one in the nation, not be waived.

The consent decree is an oversight agreement from the U.S. Department of Justice. It was put in place in 2013 to respond to racist policing, civil rights violations, and unconstitutional police conduct. Protesters emphasized that the consent decree is not a substitute for real community control of the police.

NOCOP is demanding the consent decree remain in place and that the city of New Orleans stop boycotting hearings. They asked that Judge Morgan hold the city in contempt for not showing up to hearings meant to keep the public informed.

“We want to keep the consent decree to know when the police are doing wrong, but we need something more, we need real accountability, we need community oversight,” said Toni Jones from NOCOP.

Jones said, “We need the city council to adopt a civilian police accountability council (CPAC) instead of relying on temporary federal oversight. A CPAC would allow for elected community members to monitor and hold disciplinary power over the police.”

After the rally, supporters went inside to watch the court hearings between the city and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to decide the fate of the decree. The city argued that they had addressed the corruption, violence and bias that were the reason for federal oversight. The city said they were entitled to exit, despite clear evidence to the contrary.

The DOJ reported that the New Orleans Police Department was clearly out of compliance. They cited that 40% of police holds were not even documented and of the 23 that were, 17 were clearly not justified.

They also explained that 13% of people arrested were not read their Miranda rights.

White drivers remain less likely to be asked to leave a car after being stopped then Black drivers. Also, response times for calls for help were substantially slower in Black neighborhoods then in white ones.

City officials complained that they wanted out of the decree so that they could “oversee themselves.” Members of the community voiced concern that this would mean more violence against Black people in the city, with no avenue for transparency.

Judge Susie Morgan, who presided over the court, requires more time to deliberate before coming back with a decision. People watching seemed optimistic she would see through the city’s flimsy argument.

“She was clearly annoyed and frustrated by the city attorney, and poked holes in any argument the city had for leaving the decree,” said J Martel of NOCOP.

#NewOrleansLA #PoliceBrutality #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On Monday, January 30, 100 demonstrators rallied at city hall to call for justice for Tyre Nichols and all victims of police crimes. They then marched to Jackson Square, a tourist hub in the French Quarter. Malikah Asante-Chioke spoke about her father who was killed by Louisiana state police.

Toni Mar, representing New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), denounced the killings.

As the demonstrators marched through the French Quarter they chanted slogans such as “When killer cops are on patrol, what do you demand? Community control!”

NOCOP members passed out literature calling for the New Orleans city council to adopt a measure for Citizen Police Accountability Council. They announced a follow-up demonstration for the next day. The next protest called for the firing and conviction of NOPD officer Gerry Paul, who has been charged with rape.

#NewOrleansLA #PoliceBrutality #BlackLivesMatter #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP #TyreNichols

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police and Real Name Campaign NOLA.

New Orleans, LA – In May 2021, NOPD officer Gerry Paul raped a crime lab technician in his Mid-City apartment. He put her in a police hold while his gun sat on the nightstand. After the survivor reported this, Gerry Paul was arrested and suspended for 120 days. Paul’s bail was set at $25,000. This was low for his crime, and he was able to post it immediately. Within a month, the NOPD overturned Gerry Paul’s suspension.

For the next 16 months, the NOPD put Gerry Paul on desk duty in the 5th district. He still carries a gun and has first response duty in the case of a nearby crime. The case didn’t move forward and the survivor’s rape kit went untested.

After an inquiry from the Times Picayune in August 2022, the NOPD submitted a request for expedited processing to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. The lab has a backlog of 73,000 untested rape kits.

In September, Gerry Paul was finally charged with 2nd-degree rape. At his arraignment in October, he pleaded not guilty. New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) and the Real Name Campaign protested in and outside the courthouse, demanding that the NOPD fire Paul immediately and the court charge him for his crime. The NOPD and the court won’t give us justice, we have to demand it from them!

Gerry Paul is just one example of the NOPD’s failures. Every 10 days, someone files an intimate violence complaint against an NOPD officer. In New Orleans, the majority of survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and rape by NOPD officers are young Black women.

Current forms of “oversight” are toothless. The NOPD’s corruption and violence continues against civilians. We demand democratic community control of the NOPD because we believe in the right of New Orleanians to decide who polices our streets and how we are policed.

We deserve real democracy, and so we demand community control! We demand justice! It’s time we stand up and fight back! With community control, we can immediately fire and arrest cops like Gerry Paul instead of delaying and denying, all the while re-traumatizing the police’s victims.

NOCOP and the Real Name Campaign are continuing to demand Gerry Paul’s conviction and immediate firing from the NOPD. His next court appearance is at the end of January–we need all hands on deck! We need you to help with outreach, taking up roles at actions, or spreading the word. Stay tuned in by following @n.o.cop on Instagram or @NOCOP on Facebook!

#NewOrleansLA #PoliceBrutality #RealNameCampaignNOLA #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On October 11, at 9 a.m., protesters attended Gerry Paul’s arraignment. Paul, 29, is an active-duty police officer charged with second-degree rape. Protesters in the courtroom wore red, turned their backs on Paul when he pled “not guilty,” and held signs saying “Jail Gerry!” They then organized a rally outside the Orleans Criminal Courthouse.

On March 15, 2021, a woman accused Paul of forcing her into non-consensual sex after a night of drinks at his apartment on the 4300 block of Tulane Avenue. She recounted that Paul choked her and pinned her hands behind her back in a police hold. A forensic medical examination found bruises on the back of her throat consistent with choking. His firearm was on the nightstand during the incident.

The woman’s rape kit went untested for 16 months. The woman herself is a crime scene technician. It was only after the Times-Picayune reported on this delay that her kit was tested in August 2021. He was arrested in September and released on a $25,000 bond. It was only on Tuesday that prosecutors filed a protective order prohibiting Paul’s contact with the survivor. Considering the injustice in this case alone, it’s hard to imagine how the system treats other sexual assault survivors in the city, who do not work for the crime lab.

The police affidavit for Paul’s warrant reports that he said, “it was too good to stop.” This man remains on patrol in the 5th District.

After taking their stand in the courtroom, protesters stood at the busy Tulane and Broad Street corner. They chanted “How do you spell rapist? N-O-P-D!” and “When sex offenders are on patrol, what do we demand? Community control!”

Toni Mar of New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) explained the details of the night of the crime. They criticized the NOPD for not taking action against Paul, and demanded community control of the police to hold officers like Paul accountable.

Ed Abraham spoke for Real Name Campaign NOLA, criticizing the city for planning on giving more funds to the NOPD. He called for New Orleans to fund civilian resources for sexual assault survivors, such as rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.

Protesters handed out flyers explaining to drivers and pedestrians, who were appalled by the story and echoed the demand to jail Gerry Paul. One passerby noted that he was touched by the action, thinking of how his mother and sisters could be vulnerable to this officer.

The Real Name Campaign is planning a Town Hall Against Gender Violence for November 5, starting 1 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center, 2727 S Broad Street. The town hall will discuss what the city should be doing to protect women and LGBTQ people. For more information on the event, email them at realnamecampaignnola@gmail.com. NOCOP is continuing the struggle for real oversight of police, and they can be reached on Instagram @nocop and on their website, www.nocop.org.

#NewOrleansLA #PoliceBrutality #StopPoliceCrimes #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On July 12, a group of concerned activists and locals attended a New Orleans town hall on public safety to voice their concerns on abortion access and state police. The town hall was one of a series hosted by Councilmember Freddie King III and guest speaker Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Over 100 people attended, sitting in the auditorium at LB Landry High School in Algiers, part of District C.

In the weeks before the town hall, New Orleanians rallied in the thousands to demonstrate outrage against the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Protesters demanded that the New Orleans district attorney and sheriff not comply with the state to arrest, prosecute or jail anyone seeking abortion in Orleans Parish. The DA and sheriff conceded to these demands. However, Louisiana State Police patrolling New Orleans’ streets could still enforce a statewide abortion ban and arrest residents or travelers seeking abortion. Through phone zaps, rallies and marches on the mayor’s house, the people of New Orleans held a sustained campaign demanding that Mayor Cantrell use her power to kick Louisiana State Police out of New Orleans, ensuring protection from state repression.

As the town hall began, the group of about 15 activists submitted numerous public comments. They sat patiently, holding up signs that read “Mayor Cantrell, Louisiana State Police have got to go!” and “Make New Orleans a sanctuary city for abortion!”

After an hour and a half, the group stood up when the question of abortion was finally raised for discussion. Cantrell stated that her stance was making sure that New Orleans becomes, “a safe haven for the people of New Orleans and throughout the state of Louisiana.” She did not elaborate on state police. Next to a large red banner that read “Defend the right to abortion,” organizer Toni Jones from New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP) shouted to the mayor from the seats of the auditorium. Jones asked directly for a statement on the presence of Louisiana State Police in the city, and whether the mayor would kick the state police out of New Orleans for the safety of those seeking abortion.

The mayor stood firmly in alliance with the state troopers, maintaining that the state police “will continue to be a partner with the city of New Orleans.”

With banner in hand, the group led a chant, shouting “State police off our streets!” as they marched out of the auditorium. Once outside, members of NOCOP summed up the efforts of the campaign and what the mayor's response meant for the future of the fight against police repression in New Orleans. Antonia Mar, a member of NOCOP, stated, “The mayor gave us her answer, and she’s siding with the violence of the police. The next step of our struggle is to go back to city hall and petition for a Civilian Police Accountability Council so that the people can have direct oversight over NOPD. This is not the last she’ll hear of us!”

New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP) was joined by members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Democratic Socialists of America, and allied community members.

#NewOrleansLA #CommunityControlOfPolice #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP #AbortionRights

New Orleans, LA – On the afternoon of June 18, New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) and about 15 community members from Orleans and Jefferson Parish held a rally in solidarity with the youth imprisoned at Bridge City Center. For over an hour, the group held signs and banners and led chants in a loud show of support for the youth.

Cars passing by honked in support as cops and prison guards watched from the front door of the detention center. This action took place less than two days after the incarcerated youth staged an uprising and several successful escape attempts.

At 10 p.m. the night of Thursday, June 16, around 20 incarcerated youth exited their cells and managed to take over and hold parts of Bridge City Center for nearly three hours. The prison responded with state police, Jefferson Parish police, a SWAT team, and K-9 units. This rebellion happened only hours after five youth successfully escaped the facility and remained outside for hours.

Since then, parish and state politicians increased the number of police at Bridge City Center for Youth and called for the facility’s closing. Louisiana state officials are now developing plans to convert the defunct Jetson Center – closed due to horrible conditions – into a high-security prison for the youth.

The NOCOP members and supporters gathered on the levee of the Mississippi River across the street from the prison with the hope that the youth inside could see the show of support. Chants of “No more retaliation! End mass incarceration!” “What’s outrageous? Kids in cages!” and “Bridge City Youth is right to rebel! State troopers go to hell!” rang across the levee and surrounding neighborhoods.

“The Louisiana State Police are racist. They murder Black people without consequence and are accountable to no one,” Toni Duplechain-Jones, an organizer with NOCOP, said. “These goons are being sent to repress youth for rebelling against the abuse they experience inside of Bridge City jail.”

“Immigrants are also criminalized just as these youth are criminalized. They are right to resist. They are right to rebel. We are watching and we support you and we are here for you!” Mohamed Khan, an organizer with New Orleans Immigrants’ Rights Action (NOIRA) said.

Parents of the incarcerated youth have raised attention to the mistreatment and abuse at Bridge City Center for years. The facility has held the youth captive throughout the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, refusing to allow them to see or call family.

Bridge City Center for Youth has a track record of unaddressed abuse. Adult staff members are poorly trained; bring in contraband; and groom the youth, forming inappropriate relationships. The Center has refused to feed the youth imprisoned at the prison for days at a time.

Media outlets, which originally called the youth’s action for what it was – an uprising – have shifted their narrative and are now calling their resistance a “fight.” This narrative shift obscures the power of the youth’s decisive, political act of resistance.

In quick response to these forces, NOCOP staged this rally to demand that the prison staff not retaliate against the youth incarcerated at the facility and to show support for their struggle against their horrible conditions.

#NewOrleansLA #NewOrleansForCommunityOversightOfThePoliceNOCOP