9th Ward Native is a 23-year Veteran of the Police Department
Mayor LaToya Cantrell today (Monday, Jan. 14) named NOPD Commander Shaun Ferguson as the next Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department.
Mayor Cantrell says she “absolutely” made the right choice by seeking someone from within whom she knew would be fair, firm and friendly. Col. Terry Ebbert, director of Homeland Security & Public Safety for New Orleans commended the mayor for her quick, decisive, and thorough selection of a new police chief.
Ferguson, who will be officially sworn in during a ceremony slated for Friday, Jan. 18, says that as NOPD’s top cop he will remain committed to relationships and excellence.
“To our citizens, I’ve served you 21 years and look forward to serving even longer. Through the Mayor’s commitment to you, me, and our officers, I will assure you, we will build on the positive relationships that have already been established. We will mend any relationships that may have been broken, as well as forge new relationships.”
During his two-decade long career with the police department, Ferguson has served as commander of NOPD’s second and fourth districts. His most recent leadership role was as commander of NOPD’s training academy. Ferguson says he is confident in his ability to lead the department and cites accountability as a continued and high priority.
“I was trained to not just be a supervisor, but to also be a leader. I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity of releasing individuals who just did not meet the standards of the NOPD,” he said during the Monday morning press conference. “The constitutional policing practices will remain among our top values as we engage in serving as we have been sworn to do. We’re absolutely committed to full compliance with the consent decree. I am proud of how far our department has come. We still have some work to do. As technology improves and advances, so should our police department. Our way of policing should change in that advancement.”
Ferguson says he loves the city of New Orleans and is proud to be from the community. He was raised in the 9th ward and later moved to Algiers. He earned both his both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern University at New Orleans.
“This has cultivated me to have the respect of the city, its diversities, and its uniqueness.” he says.
In addition to thanking Mayor Cantrell for the opportunity, Ferguson also shared his gratitude for outgoing police chief, Michael Harrison, who recently announced that he will leave New Orleans to become police commission for the city of Baltimore.
“Many may not know this, but I was the first commander that Chief Harrison sent to Senior Executive Training in Boston, Massachusetts where I gained the knowledge, leadership skills to not only be a supervisor, but to also be a leader. He also encouraged me to seek (opportunities) to getting my own training.”
