There is a feeling permeating our city: When you leave your home you are not safe, no confidence in city leadership and the streets are a mess.

Even if the streets were paved and floodproof but you are getting carjacked, it would not matter, because we still are not safe.

If we want to be a safe city, then we need an effective and professional police department. This will only happen if we solve the primary problem plaguing the New Orleans Police Department.

The primary problem is beyond recruiting, although streamlining the hiring process, updating eligibility requirements and increasing diversity with Asian and Latino officers would help. In other words, change the process, don't lower standards.

The primary problem is not pay. The starting salary of a NOPD officer is over $42,000, compared to a New York City police officer at $42,000. Numerous officers who quit stated pay was not the reason.

The primary problem is not the federal consent decree. The consent decree identified problems, mandated fixes and will end once they're complete.

The primary problem with the NOPD is its culture. It is the culture of favoritism. Getting the best assignments based on “who” rather than “what” you know. Dislike of fellow officers for personal reasons and inconsistent disciplinary decisions.

This is not new. This culture has existed for decades.

This is the fundamental question we need to answer: How do you police a city of 300,000 plus tourists and visitors with 900 police officers? It’s done with effective management skills improving recruitment, morale, retention, targeting hot spots, community engagement, thinking outside the box and cleaning up the culture, for an effective and professional police department.