I haven't talked to all the Black people in New Orleans, but I'm here to tell you that people are disappointed, shocked and stunned that New Orleans Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork didn't get the nod to be the city's next permanent police chief.
We are the people who have most wanted Mayor LaToya Cantrell to succeed. We are the same people who didn't like and didn't support the recall effort. And, we wanted all the "stuff" to go away so we could watch the mayor do her job — and lead.
Well, I didn't see this one coming — or did I?
Some people call New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell arrogant, stubborn and uncooperative.
At least in this instance, I beg to differ.
She can be all of those things sometimes, but — if we pause and think about it — that didn't happen in the process of selecting former Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick to lead the New Orleans Police Department.
If we open our eyes and our minds, there were signs that the gruff, rough, tough mayor of ours took a breath or two, pushed aside her bluster and showed that she is the leader we want her to be.
NOPD superintendent nominee, Anne Kirkpatrick, talks to the media gathered at New Orleans City Hall on Monday, September 11, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)
Say what you will about Her Honor, but it takes some gumption to defy a political base that wanted Woodfork to become the permanent police chief. As former Police Chief Shaun Ferguson was preparing to retire, Cantrell asked council members for their recommendations. They suggested (a) an interim appointment, (b) a national search and (c) council involvement in the process.
She made an interim appointment on Dec. 22, 2022. Initially, she was so focused on Woodfork that she said she wasn't going to adopt "that word," as in "national" search. In due time, after talking with advisers, staff and others, she relented.
In response to requests for council involvement, Cantrell gave a big, fat "no." She appeared to be clearing a path for Woodfork to ease into the role. At the same time, the mayor acknowledged her duty to follow voters' wishes when they changed the City Charter to council members confirm mayoral appointees to a number of top City Hall positions, including police chief.
In December, on the day Woodfork was sworn in as the interim police chief, she said she wanted the permanent gig.
Conventional wisdom was then — and had remained — that the mayor had appointed Woodfork with enough certainty that she went beyond nice words about her interim pick.
“She grew up understanding the importance of law and order. My kind of woman,” Cantrell said then.
It might be me, but things seemed to change in recent weeks. Though there was a pause to honor the death of first gentleman Jason Cantrell, the police chief search seemed to be slower than anticipated. That's not something that happens when there's a slam dunk candidate.
Unfortunately for Woodfork, the International Association of Chiefs of Police search team ranked her lower based on experience. Until December, she had not been a police chief or a deputy police chief.
When Cantrell announced Kirkpatrick as her choice, she said, in a word, "experience" was the difference.
"My journey wasn't easy. I remember taking the promotional test and being passed over," Woodfork recalled during a December interview as we sat in Gallier Hall. "I've been in situations where I probably should've been chosen but I wasn't."
Woodfork is a professional. She isn't fussing, lashing out or running off to retirement. Cantrell said Monday that Woodfork will continue as interim chief until Sept. 22.
Anne Kirkpatrick made a smart move Monday when she said Cantrell had "nominated" her for the position. She was deferential to the City Council, acknowledging their authority and power and a process she said she didn't choose.
Kirkpatrick also said she wants Woodfork on her team.
The Woman Who Would Be Chief said the police force she's been tapped to lead — and the public — want to know: "Where are we going? That is the vision. ... How do we get there? That is the plan....What is my role in this plan? And that is where leadership comes in play."
That's leadership talk — and a good introduction to New Orleans.
Woodfork is also a strong leader. I wanted her to be chief.
When you're a leader, you listen to your advisers and make the decision you think is best. Not everyone will like each decision, but accepting that is leadership, too.
