Criminal Justice Committee Meeting Summary – August 31, 2026

The Criminal Justice Committee met on August 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the withdrawal of the National Guard from New Orleans, a proposed carnival gap fee, contract renewals, and the New Orleans Police Department’s drone program. The meeting featured presentations from the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the NOPD, the Mayor’s Office, and the ACLU of Louisiana/Eye on Surveillance, with extensive public testimony on the fee and drone policies.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes of the July 27, 2026 meeting (3 ayes, no opposition).
• LeadsOnline Contract Amendment (Item 5a): Amendment No. 3 to the agency agreement with LeadsOnline, LLC for electronic reporting and criminal investigation software, extending the term by one year and increasing the maximum payable amount, was approved unanimously (4 ayes, 0 nays).
• CREST MOU (Item 5b): The Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Louisiana authorizing NOPD’s participation in the Critical Response Emergency Search Team (CREST) for endangered missing persons and mass-casualty events was approved unanimously (4 ayes, 0 nays).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Carnival Gap Fee:

  • James Clark (Magazine Street corridor resident): Proposed that all carnival krewes (except possibly one) be required to start parades at Magazine and Jefferson to increase sales tax revenue. He calculated that current routes provide about 16 hours of parade time past a single point on Magazine Street; expanding routes could increase that by 77%.
  • Elizabeth Boudreau (lifelong resident, parade rider): Urged that the gap fee be applied to all parade permit holders (second-line parades, races, etc.) year-round, not just krewes with floats, and suggested allowing throws on Chapatula Street if Magazine Street is not feasible.
  • Bruce Riley (French Quarter resident): Questioned the city’s deficit calculation, arguing that Mardi Gras generates substantial tax revenue (hotel/motel, sales) that benefits the city. He urged that the fee not be placed solely on parade participants and suggested looking at overall revenue rather than just policing costs.
  • Val Cupett (online comment): Argued that the fee is a tax, not a fee, and questioned why the city targets Mardi Gras rather than other major events (Jazz Fest, Saints games, etc.), suggesting that the fee should be paid directly to cover specific services.

• Drone Program:

  • Nikki R. W. (community member): Opposed drones, citing over-surveillance of Black communities (second lines, protests, parades) and research showing drones are less accurate at identifying Black faces, risking wrongful arrests and racial profiling.
  • Bruce Riley (VOTER): Called for a standing civil rights and technology task force, questioned the lack of transparency and accountability given NOPD’s consent decree history, and asked about cybersecurity risks (hacking) of drones.
  • Alfred Marshall (VOTER organizer, formerly incarcerated): Warned that drones could trigger probation/parole violations for formerly incarcerated people simply by being surveilled, potentially increasing incarceration rates in a city with the highest incarceration rate in the world.
  • Ethan Elstead (Music Culture Coalition): Raised concerns about process: at the April 16 council meeting, officials assured the public that the drone policy contained protections (e.g., requiring MOUs for federal partnerships). He noted that those protections were removed from the policy shortly after the vote, and questioned whether the change was known beforehand and why it wasn’t disclosed.
  • Janice (last name unclear): Thanked council members who opposed the drone program, expressed frustration that two of the four council members who voted for the program were absent. She reiterated that the public’s concerns have been realized and called for suspension of the program, noting the lack of transparency.
  • Jess Pinkham (French Quarter resident): Thanked presenters, connected drone technology (SkyDio) to its use in Palestine as an environmental and ethical concern, and questioned why NOPD did not stay for the presentation.

Discussion Items

• National Guard Withdrawal and Public Safety (Item 3):

  • Rafael Goyeneche (Metropolitan Crime Commission) presented crime statistics: homicides down 34%, nonfatal shootings down 24%, carjackings down 3%, armed robberies down 34% year-to-date versus 2025. He attributed these reductions partly to the National Guard deployment. The Guard conducted over 4,100 patrols (31,000+ hours) as a visible deterrent. He noted the deployment was federally authorized in March 2026 and was always intended to end in August, allowing NOPD and state police to plan.
  • Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick (NOPD) outlined the post-withdrawal plan: added 16 officers to the 8th District (French Quarter/CBD), increased Bourbon Promenade coverage from 10 to 15 officers, and strengthened platoons in surrounding districts. She highlighted the Downtown Enhancement Unit (focused on quality-of-life issues), continued partnerships with Louisiana State Police and OPSO, expansion of Harbor Police cooperation, use of reserve officers, and reliance on technology. She noted that 60 new recruits are in the academy and will be assigned to the 8th District.
  • Councilmember Green thanked the presenters, noting he saw no constitutional issues with the Guard’s presence, and stressed that crime reductions are due to local, state, and federal cooperation. He expressed concern about the state’s decision to end the paid deployment despite a $47 billion state budget, but affirmed confidence in NOPD to maintain safety.

• Carnival Gap Fee Ordinance and Amendment (Item 4):

  • Mr. Tony (Mayor’s Office) presented the revised fee structure: a three-tiered fee per krewe ($5,000 / $7,500 / $10,000) based on pull units, replacing the original per-float fee. This is projected to raise about $265,000 per year, applied only to the 2027–2031 carnival seasons. The fee is intended to offset the city’s Mardi Gras deficit (estimated at $3.75 million per year, given $10.62 million in costs versus $6.87 million in tax receipts).
  • Councilmember King thanked the administration and noted the fee was developed in consultation with Mardi Gras krewes. He emphasized the fee is a compromise from an earlier $25-per-rider proposal, and that krewes found it fair.
  • Councilmember Harris suggested that the fee should be indexed to CPI and that the city should also review fees for other parades exempted from this ordinance (e.g., St. Patrick’s Day). He noted that the city is looking at all permit fees.
  • Councilmember Green observed that the city’s deficit is partly due to the state capturing the majority of hotel/motel tax revenue (city gets only 1.5% of the 15% tax), and urged a broader discussion of state revenue sharing.
  • The amendment to Cal. No. 35,495 was approved 4-0; the ordinance as amended was approved 4-0, to go before the full council on September 3, 2026.

• Drone Program Policy and Data (Item 6):

  • Sarah Whittington (ACLU of Louisiana) and Edith Romero (Eye on Surveillance) presented an analysis of NOPD’s drone policy changes from 2024 to July 2026 and data from public records requests. Key concerns:
    • The 2024 policy required MOUs with other agencies, supervisor approval before each flight, detailed logs, quarterly internal reviews, and an annual public report. These requirements were eliminated or gutted in the 2026 policy.
    • A draft policy posted June 21, 2026, allowed weaponization of drones (later retracted as a draft, but no investigation into who wrote it).
    • Data from 1,000 flights (2025) showed massive non-compliance: 78.7% missing incident type, 93.1% missing incident details, 94.1% missing activity summary, 94.1% missing supervisor approval, 98.9% missing whether the drone assisted officers. Data from 2026 (187 flights) showed even worse compliance (100% missing most fields).
    • Known drone uses included monitoring a homeless person blocking a sidewalk, protests, second lines, festivals, and the Sugar Bowl, raising First and Fourth Amendment concerns. Some flights occurred outside Orleans Parish (Kenner, Chalmette) without evidence of required MOUs.
    • Drones as First Responder (DFR) program approved April 16, 2026, was criticized for lacking transparency, independent evaluation, and meaningful data on effectiveness. They noted that Jefferson Parish reported 6,000 drone flights leading to 200 arrests (3.7% effectiveness).
  • Recommendations: Suspend the drone program until enforceable accountability measures are in place; require quarterly independent reviews; create a public-facing dashboard; mandate demographic reporting; ensure data retention limits; and establish a mechanism for public reporting of drone sightings.
  • Councilmember Harris thanked the presenters, requested the raw data and any best practices from other jurisdictions, and expressed concern about surveillance of private spaces, urging a hard look at suspension.

Key Outcomes

• National Guard Withdrawal: The committee received the presentation and plan; no vote was taken. NOPD’s plan will be implemented.
• Carnival Gap Fee: The amendment to Cal. No. 35,495 was approved 4-0, and the ordinance as amended was approved 4-0. It will be forwarded to the full council for the September 3, 2026 meeting.
• Contracts: Both the LeadsOnline amendment and the CREST MOU were approved unanimously (4-0).
• Drone Program: No immediate vote was taken. The committee heard extensive testimony and public comment. Councilmember Harris stated he would examine the data and consider suspension. The ACLU’s presentation and recommendations will be shared with all council members. NOPD was not present to answer questions.