NOPD Satisfaction Rating Increases for Third Year in a Row
2026 New Orleans Crime Coalition Survey reveals growing generational divide in overall satisfaction of the police and perceptions of safety
NEW ORLEANS, La., February 4, 2026 — Public satisfaction with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) continues to rise, reaching 55%, up eight points since June 2025. That’s according to the 17th annual NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey, commissioned by the New Orleans Crime Coalition (NOCC).
The survey also finds that NOPD satisfaction has increased 24 percentage points since Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick took office in 2023 (from 31% to 55%).
View the Full 2026 NOPD Survey Results Here
View the Full 2026 New Orleans Civic Policymakers Survey Results Here
“Seeing public satisfaction with the NOPD rise for a third straight year is a sign that reforms and renewed leadership are making an impact,” said Mike Cowan, chairman of the New Orleans Crime Coalition. “Residents are beginning to feel safer, and confidence is returning. This survey gives the city a clear roadmap for where progress is happening and where more work is needed to build trust across every neighborhood and every generation.” Faucheux Strategies, LLC conducted a survey from January 26-31, 2026 using live telephone interviews to track key metrics related to residents’ perceptions of the NOPD. The poll surveyed a representative sample of 800 New Orleans adults (18 and older) and has a margin of error of ±3.46%
While historically the New Orleans Crime Coalition survey has been conducted in late May and/or early June, the 2026 survey was timed to provide baseline data for the new city administration, which took office on January 12.
Key Findings:
• The NOPD’s overall satisfaction rating is now 55%, up 8 points over the June 2025 survey. Negative ratings went down substantially, dropping 15 points from 38% in the last survey to 23% now. Currently, 53% of Black residents and 59% of White residents say they’re satisfied with the
job the NOPD is doing.
• Nearly two-thirds of residents (66%) say they believe the city is safe. That’s a 12-point improvement over the last survey. Currently, 64% of Black residents and 67% of White residents view the city as safe.
• Residents continue to feel safer in their own neighborhoods than in the city overall: 87% say their neighborhood is safe, compared to 66% who say the same for the city as a whole.
• Willingness to contact Crimestoppers remains strong (87%), increasing four percentage points since the last survey.
• Strong majorities of residents – ranging from 67% to 94% – support crime-reduction strategies including improving police capacity to solve and investigate crimes, increasing manpower to patrol neighborhoods, improving social and counseling programs, and expanding the use of computer analytics, camera technology and facial recognition as crime-fighting tools.
• 67% of residents support the NOPD’s use of facial recognition technology to help reduce crime. This includes 72% of Black residents and 60% of White residents.
• 79% of residents support increasing NOPD’s legal use of camera technology to solve crime. This includes 81% of Black residents and 77% of White residents.
• Task ratings for the NOPD remain low – between 12% to 33% – though they show slight improvement. The worst-rated tasks are retention and recruitment of police officers, with positive ratings at just 11% and 12% respectively.
Says pollster Ron Faucheux: “While most residents believe the NOPD is doing an increasingly good job given the circumstances, they see room for improving specific tasks they perform – and much of that improvement will require additional manpower and better use of technology.”
The New Orleans Crime Coalition is a group of organizations – including the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Crimestoppers, the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation and the NOLA Coalition – committed to addressing crime, improving public safety, and strengthening civic engagement.
View the Full 2025 NOPD Survey Results Here
The Survey
Since 2009, the NOCC has independently surveyed residents about their views on the NOPD to highlight areas needing improvement, encourage positive reforms within the department, foster trust between the community and law enforcement, and enhance public safety in New Orleans. The 2026 NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey was funded by The Greater New Orleans Foundation, GNO, Inc., and the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region. The survey was carried out by trained professional telephone interviewers under the supervision of Dr. Ron Faucheux. This independent and nonpartisan survey firm operates out of New Orleans and has no affiliations with the City of New Orleans government or the NOPD.
About the New Orleans Crime Coalition
Since its founding in 2007, the organizations of the NOCC have communicated and coordinated in obtaining additional federal funding for local criminal justice agencies; monitoring the expenditure of those funds; seeking improved cooperation between the District Attorney’s office and NOPD; supporting the creation of an independent NOPD monitor; obtaining city funding for the Orleans Public Defenders Office for the first time; promoting the practice of community policing; influencing the public debate on the proper size of the Orleans Parish Prison; and creating one integrated computer-based information management system for the local criminal justice system.
About the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation
The New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation (NOPJF) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to making New Orleans a safer place in which to live, work and visit. The Foundation accomplishes its mission by promoting excellence in policing, efficiency in criminal justice and positive community engagement. Programs to enhance NOPD include manpower and advanced training. For more information, please visit: www.nopjf.org or join the NOPJF as they honor local law enforcement at the annual Stake Out for Justice Luncheon on September 10, 2026 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.
View the Full 2026 NOPD Survey Results Here
