Metropolitan Crime Commission calling for investigation into mayor, security officer's lunch in French Quarter

FIRST, AT SIX, A FEDERAL JUDGE FINDS NOPD IS IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSENT DECREE WHEN IT COMES TO THE INVESTIGATION. KHERSON OF MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL’S EXECUTIVE DETAIL OFFICER. IS THAT MY OFFICER, JEFFREY BAPPY THERE, WDSU, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, CASSIE SCHERM LIVE IN STUDIO WITH WHY THE JUDGE SAYS THIS INVESTIGATION WAS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS. KASEY WELL, THE FEDERAL JUDGE, SUSIE MORGAN, SHE SAYS THE INVESTIGATION OF OFFICER BABBY WAS NOT CONDUCTED IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER INVESTIGATIONS. AND WAS NOT CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE TO NOPD POLICIES. NOW, OFFICER JEFFREY VAPPIE, HE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR HIS TIME SERVING THE MAYOR ON AND OFF THE CLOCK LAST YEAR, NOPD STATED THEY WERE IN FULL COMPLIANCE AND FOUGHT IN COURT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AGAINST FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE MONITOR SAYING THIS CASE WAS TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER. BUT THE FEDERAL JUDGE DISAGREED. SHE SAYS NOPD ATTEMPTED TO PREMATURELY REASSIGN OFFICER VAPPIE TO THE EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DETAIL BEFORE THE PYB INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETE. AN OFFICER VAPPIE WAS SENT TO WORK AT THE ORLEANS PARISH COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICT, BUT NO OTHER OFFICER ON ADMINISTRATIVE REASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN SENT THERE SINCE 2016. AT THE END, THE JUDGE SAID THAT SHE LISTS MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSENT DECREE AND SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE FAILING TO ACCURATELY AND COMPLETELY RECORD ALL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST OFFICER JEFFREY VAPPIE, FAILING TO GIVE MEANINGFUL CONSIDERATION TO CIRCUMSTANCE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO THE PYB INVESTIGATORS THAT COULD HAVE SUGGESTED TO A REASONABLE PERSON THAT OFFICER VAPPIE CHARGED THE NOPD FOR TIME NOT WORKED AND FAILING TO REASONABLE MEASURES TO PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIAL CITY OF ITS INVESTIGATORY MATERIALS IS NOW IN RESPONSE TO THE FEDERAL RULING. NOPD CHIEF ANNE KIRKPATRICK HAS SENT JUDGE MORGAN A REMEDIAL PLAN, PROMISING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. AGENCY WATCHDOG RAPHAEL GOYENECHE SAYS THIS IS A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IN THIS IS, I THINK, ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT ANNE KIRKPATRICK IS GOING TO LEAD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN GOING FORWARD AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK THAT THIS APPROACH WILL RESULT IN A QUICKER PATH TO COMPLIANCE THEN THE PREVIOUS POSITION OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS TO ATTEMPT TO CHALLENGE AND LITIGATE THEIR WAY INTO COMPLIANCE. NOW, SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE CREATING NEW POLICIES AND TRANSPAREN

The Metropolitan Crime Commission is calling for an investigation into the New Orleans mayor and one of her security detail officers. The MCC released a letter Monday that was sent to the Public Integrity Bureau The letter asks that the PIB investigate a lunch between Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Officer Jeffrey Vappie on April 7. Photos of the lunch were sent to the MCC. According to the letter, the lunch took place at Tabelau and the photo showed wine glasses on the table. The MCC is asking that the PIB investigate if Cantrell and Vappie were working at the time the photos were taken and whether or not they consumed alcohol while on the clock. The watchdog group is also calling for information on who paid for the meal and whether or not Vappie had permission to eat with the mayor that day if he was on duty. WDSU has reached out to the NOPD for information on Vappie's schedule that weekend. WDSU also reached out to the mayor's office to see if the mayor was working and if the meal was paid for with a city-issued credit card. At the time of this publication, WDSU has not heard back from the mayor's office or the NOPD. You can read MCC's full letter here. This comes after Vappie was the center of a Public Integrity Bureau investigation involving his timesheets and time spent at the Pontalba apartment. He was reinstated to the mayor's security team in June of 2023 when the investigation into him concluded in March of 2023.

NEW ORLEANS —

The Metropolitan Crime Commission is calling for an investigation into the New Orleans mayor and one of her security detail officers.

The MCC released a letter Monday that was sent to the Public Integrity Bureau

The letter asks that the PIB investigate a lunch between Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Officer Jeffrey Vappie on April 7.

Photos of the lunch were sent to the MCC.

According to the letter, the lunch took place at Tabelau and the photo showed wine glasses on the table.

The MCC is asking that the PIB investigate if Cantrell and Vappie were working at the time the photos were taken and whether or not they consumed alcohol while on the clock.

The watchdog group is also calling for information on who paid for the meal and whether or not Vappie had permission to eat with the mayor that day if he was on duty.

WDSU has reached out to the NOPD for information on Vappie's schedule that weekend. WDSU also reached out to the mayor's office to see if the mayor was working and if the meal was paid for with a city-issued credit card.

At the time of this publication, WDSU has not heard back from the mayor's office or the NOPD.

You can read MCC's full letter here.

This comes after Vappie was the center of a Public Integrity Bureau investigation involving his timesheets and time spent at the Pontalba apartment. He was reinstated to the mayor's security team in June of 2023 when the investigation into him concluded in March of 2023.

Metropolitan Crime Commission calling for investigation into mayor, security officer's lunch in French Quarter

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