Council reacts to governor’s letter for National Guard deployment to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Gov. Jeff Landry’s request for National Guard troops to be deployed to New Orleans and other Louisiana cities is receiving mixed reactions from New Orleans City Council members.

“Important for us collectively to get Chief Kirkpatrick, our team in the room with the governor and his staff to have more of a cohesive conversation,” said Councilman JP Morrell.

“He wants to deploy something here, as I said to the prior folks, he needs to deploy resources and money so that we can continue the good work that we’ve done with programs like instead, and lead and diversion programs,” said Councilwoman Lesli Harris.

During a criminal justice committee meeting, the NOPD’s Chief Deputy Superintendent Hans Ganthier says crime is down 78%.

While his department welcomes the federal help, Ganthier says they hope to continue taking the lead on cracking down on crime.

“They’re not familiar with the hotspots. So, even if they come in here, we would have to meet with them and collaborate, and, you know, plan where they’re going to be and what their function is going to be. If we could, we would expand these marks, and then out to the east we could,” said Ganthier.

Also during the meeting, Councilman Oliver Thomas questioned Ganthier whether the NOPD and the mayor’s office knew of the governor’s request before it was made public.

“It would have been nice if, when someone in the police department found out, then at least the leadership in the city of the public would have had an understanding that this was going to happen, ” said Thomas.

“I don’t have any communication from what I’ve heard, and I’m just saying, if I should have told you, I am telling you that I’ve heard that they’re coming in. Do I have official notice? No, I don’t have a letter. Email, phone call. I don’t have anything,” said Ganthier.

Morrell says residents are starting to better trust the NOPD and is worried things will change if troops are deployed.

“They, over the years, have developed a rapport with that number. And the last thing they want is the national guard stumbling upon a second line and not knowing what it is, and trying to do crowd control on their own,” said Morrell.

The mayor’s office has not said whether she knew this would happen.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Liz Murrill released a statement:

“While we have made tremendous progress in fighting crime throughout Louisiana since I took office – there is still more work to be done. That’s why I fully support Governor Landry’s official request for federal assistance to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump to deploy national guard troops to Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Just one life lost to violence is too much.”

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