During the 1990s the New Orleans Police Department ( NOPD ) also came under the scrutiny of the Justice Department when a series of crimes , including murders , by officers prompted attempts at reform by then Police Chief Richard Pennington . In the wake of Hurricane Katrina there was a spike in allegations of misconduct and in March 2011 the Justice Department published a 158-page report that found " systemic violations of civil rights " by a NOPD that routinely failed to discipline officers involved . Six cases stemming from Katrina have been investigated and followed closely by ProPublica , one is the Danziger Bridge shootings that resulted in two civilian deaths and four wounded . In August 2011 , four officers were convicted of unlawfully firing on citizens then trying to cover it up with the assistance of a fifth investigating officer
Danziger Bridge shootings
Danziger Bridge shootings
Police misconduct