New Orleans mayoral hopefuls tackle culture and safety issues

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The conversation began with a discussion on cultural struggles within New Orleans primarily faced by those in social aid and pleasure clubs and their second lines.

“You have second line organizations that are paying more money than Mardi Gras krewes and you know that just doesn’t even make sense,” mayoral candidate Helena Moreno said.

“We need to make sure that we put them in that hospitality culture when we can put money in their pockets,” mayoral candidate Arthur Hunter said.

“Too many people that are making decisions about who don’t understand the culture,” mayoral candidate Oliver Thomas said.

“Without the cultural organizations, there is no New Orleans,” mayoral candidate Royce Duplessis said.

The conversation then shifted towards public safety, when each candidate was asked their thoughts on the recent murder rate drop in the city.

“We can’t celebrate too much. We need to be using this as an opportunity to invest even more into intervention and prevention,” Duplessis said.

“Let’s celebrate when a third of our population does not live at or below the poverty level you know why cause if you celebrate now and we don’t fix all those things I just talked about, it’s gonna pop off again,” Thomas said.

“We got to start with the NOPD, but you don’t stop with the NOPD. You also have to go to Tulane and Broad,” Hunter said.

“We have to keep pushing every day to make our city safer,” Moreno said.

When a new mayor is elected, he or she will be able to bring in a new police chief.

Each candidate was asked what kind of criteria would go into their selection.

“Let’s let the next police chief come from carver or St. Aug or MLK or one of the schools in our community. Let’s start training them at that level,” Thomas said.

“What I’m looking for in my police chief is someone ultimately who has a record of results,” Moreno said.

“Someone who believes in community policing but someone that also believes in the professionalism and competency of a New Orleans police officer,” Hunter said.

“From everything I’m seeing right now, from everything I’m hearing right now, from rank and file offices all the way to the top we have a superintendent who is getting the job done,” Duplessis said.

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