Complaints & Misconduct

Raw Data Analysis

Complaints in other cities

Only public complaints considered.
New Orleans gets more complaints when compared to other similar sized cities (Indianapolis and DC).
New Orleans rivals Chicago in two out of the three comparisons but Chicago has much higher complaint per arrest rates.

Most common allegations

The three most common complaint allegations in 2018, representing roughly 80% of all allegations, were: “neglect of duty,” “professionalism,” and “adherence to law.” Similar to findings analyzed of other departments, complaints overwhelming stem from the ways the officers interact with community members [2].
Complaint allegations have shifted slightly from 2017. While “neglect of duty” and “professionalism” remained the most common allegations, the third most common switched from “instructions from an authoritative source” in 2017 to “adherence to law” in 2018. While there was not a significant percentage change in “adherence to law” allegations between 2017 and 2018, “instructions from an authoritative source” allegations decreased by almost 60 instances, or over 3%.

[2] - Chicago Police Department, Chicago Police Department Annual Report 2017, p. 28-30, accessed April 9, 2019.

Complaints over time

Annual trends

Complaints and allegations both appeared to have a slight decrease in 2018 compared with 2017. This appears to be on trend with other United States police departments of similar size, which are experiencing stagnation in complaints or decreases [1]. Given that complaint decreases are taking place in metropolitan police departments across the U.S., this may indicate a universal reform in policing over the past few years due to social pressure from politicians such as Barack Obama and catalysts such as the Movement for Black Lives.

[1] - Boulder Police Department, Professional Standards Report, p. 6, accessed April 9, 2019.

Outcome of complaints

NOPDs allegation findings

Complaint dispositions

The dispositions of the complaints filed in 2018 are illustrated in the figure “Individual Allegations by Outcome.” This figure illustrates that the most common allegation of “Neglect of Duty” is also the allegation most frequently marked “sustained”. This is consistent with 2017 findings.
The largest number of complaints had an “inconsistent data”, meaning that there was conflicting information within the complaint, therefore yielding the outcome illegitimate. The next largest grouping was of “sustained” complaints at 18.7%. This represents a significant shift from 2017, as only 2.45% of complaints had an “inconsistent data” in 2017, as compared with 26% in 2018. Further, “sustained” complaints dropped from 29.2% in 2017 to 18.7% in 2018.
While only 8.47% of citizen complaints are sustained, 35.7% of rank complaints are sustained, more than four times the percentage of citizen complaints. In police departments across the US, citizen complaints often represent the majority of complaints but are the least often sustained [3]. This could indicate that citizens more frequently submit false complaints, or more likely, that internal regulation bureaus have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
In 2018, the most common sustained allegation is “neglect of duty” at 71%, up roughly 6% from 2017.

[3] - Boulder Police Department, Professional Standards Report, p. 6, accessed April 9, 2019.

All complaints by outcome

Rank complaints by outcome

Public complaints by outcome

Most sustained allegations

Complaint outcomes by officer race

Sustained complaints appear to be consistent with officer race demographics. However, Black officers participate in mediation more than is consistent with overall demographics. This may indicate that Black officers have a greater inclination to reconcile with residents, as they are more likely to come from the same or similar neighborhoods as their complainants. This lends to the argument toward increased community policing.

Who complains

Allegations by source

Disposition by source

The public initiates roughly 1.5 times the number of complaints than does rank, however rank complaints are sustained more frequently. This is consistent with data from comparable cities [4].
Citizen and rank complaint numbers both decrease slightly from 2017 to 2018.

[4] - Boulder Police Department, Professional Standards Report, p. 6, accessed April 9, 2019.

Anonymous complaints

Of the three anonymous complaints in 2018, two remain pending; the third was found to have “no formal investigation merited.” These findings are similar to those from 2017, where only 1 of 10 anonymous complaints was sustained.

4th Amendment Complaints

NOPDs allegation findings

Search and seizure and handcuffing and restraint were the two high risk allegations the composed fourth amendment violations. Illegal search and seizure was more prevalent at 60%. There were 10 total fourth amendment violations in 2018. This is an improvement from 2017, where there were 45 total violations. While New Orleans is improving, and doing better than some other major police departments, like Chicago PD who experienced an increase [5], there should be no Fourth Amendment violations. This remains troubling for the NOPD, a department currently under consent decree.
The outcomes of fourth amendment violations were relatively similar for both search and seizure and handcuffing and restraint. In both instances, the number of sustained complaints matches that of those exonerated. This is a slight deviation from 2017, when exonerations were nearly twice as likely as sustentions. These findings may indicate a greater accountability mechanism in the department.

[5] - Chicago Police Department, Chicago Police Department Annual Report 2017, p. 28-29, accessed April 9, 2019.

Discipline

Types of discipline

There were roughly 20 types of disciplinary infractions alleged of NOPD officers in 2018. The top three were “neglect of duty,” “instructions from an authoritative source,” and “professionalism.” This remains in keeping with trends from 2017.
In 2018, the most common forms of discipline were “letter of reprimand” and “suspension.” However, in 2017 the most common forms of discipline were “suspension” and “DI-2.”

Discipline by gender

There were roughly 20 types of disciplinary infractions alleged of NOPD officers in 2018. The top three were “neglect of duty,” “instructions from an authoritative source,” and “professionalism.” This remains in keeping with trends from 2017.
In 2018, the most common forms of discipline were “letter of reprimand” and “suspension.” However, in 2017 the most common forms of discipline were “suspension” and “DI-2.”
Officers of both genders are most likely to receive “no discipline,” a “letter of reprimand,” or “suspension.” However, male officers appear to be overrepresented in “mediation” and “oral reprimand” discipline outcomes.

By resident gender

By officer gender

Discipline by race

By complainant's race

The majority of complainants are “Black” or “Unknown Race.” Hispanic complainants are least represented across disciplinary outcomes.
Based on figures from other major cities, data indicates the Black complainants are most frequent [6]. This could speak to overwhelming outcry from Black communities that they are unfairly and unlawfully targeted by police. NOPD complainant numbers indicate that it may be doing no better than other departments to remedy this situation.
Numbers seem to indicate that, if a complainant is white, an officer is statistically more likely to be disciplined.

[6] - Citizen Police Data Project, accessed April 9, 2019.

[6] - Government of the District of Colombia, Police Complaints Board, Office of Police Complaints, Annual Report 2018, pg. 13, accessed April 9, 2019.

By officer's race

Regardless of race, officers are most likely to receive no disciplinary action.
Like other police departments analyzed, officer race generally corresponds with department demographics [7]. However, only Black officers have received a demotion as a form of discipline. Black officers are also disproportionately likely to be dismissed. This may indicate subtle racial bias within discipline in the department itself, which begs the question: if officer actions indicate racial bias amongst colleagues, what type of bias exists with officers in the community?

[5] - Chicago Police Department, Chicago Police Department Annual Report 2017, p. 24, accessed April 9, 2019.