Bulletin for June 3, 2025

Stella Cziment is an advocate and attorney dedicated to serving the city of New Orleans. Stella was appointed to be the Independent Police Monitor for the City of New Orleans by the Ethics Review Board in April 2022. Previously, Stella served as the Deputy Independent Police Monitor under Susan Hutson. As the Acting Independent Police Monitor, Stella oversees the Complaints and Misconduct work conducted by OIPM, monitors disciplinary proceedings, advises the NOPD leadership on policy and investigative best practices along with high level projects and policing tactics, and works with governmental and community partners on policing initiatives and issues. Since becoming the Acting Independent Police Monitor, Stella as released reports on the compliance of policing during Hurricane Ida and the selection and promotion process of the 15 new NOPD captains in the winter of 2021.

Prior to her work at OIPM, Stella was the Director of Enrollment Transitions for the Recovery School District and the Director of the Student Hearing Office for the Orleans Parish School Board. As a director within the school districts, Stella coordinated a team and oversaw the operation of the Student Hearing Office, the Hardship Transfer process, the enrollment of students returning from adult incarceration or other system related breaks in education, and the enrollment and transfer of students receiving SPED services. Stella’s efforts resulted in a 33% reduction in expulsion hearings for two school years in a row. Prior to her work at the school district, Stella defended residents of New Orleans in Criminal District Court and Orleans Municipal Court as a public defender. Stella attended Tulane University Law School where she clerked for the community development division of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington D.C. and the New Orleans office of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission.

(OIPM) is an independent branch of city government that is responsible for providing oversight to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), helping build community trust in the police department and receiving public feedback on the police, and working to make the NOPD a safer and better working environment for all officers and employees. The OIPM provides oversight through monitoring, reviewing, and auditing police activity and data. We are tasked with holding the NOPD accountable and ensuring they are following their own rules, policies, city, state, and federal laws. The OIPM is responsible for conducting complaint and commendation intake, on-scene monitoring of critical incidents and uses of force, overseeing the community-officer mediation program, reviewing investigations, providing assessments, identifying patterns, and making recommendations for improved practice, policy, resource allocation, and training. OIPM handles misconduct complaints, disciplinary proceedings, data analysis, community outreach, a community-police mediation program, and audit and policies. Please click here to learn more about OIPM.

Membership

If you have a prospect, please have them connect with Jacquie Bonano, membership chair at membership@gnoea.com.

Thank You & Announcements

Q2 2025 dues reminder.

Announcements & Thank You’s

Brien Lundin, Jefferson, Financial, Inc. and Kevin Pedeaux, CR Coffee Shop, thanked Kenny Knobloch, Help! Air Conditioning and Heating for helping with their A/C.

Kenny Knobloch, thanked Bobby Ramsey, Ramsey’s Diamond Jewelers for helping him.

Guests-

Katie Clark, Leaaf Environmental, guest of Jesse Hoppes, Leaaf Environmental

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

• June 10- No Meeting
• June 17- Keith Hinkley, Plaquemines Parish President
• June 24- No Meeting
• July 1- No Meeting
• July 8- Kristi Trail, Pontchartrain Conservancy
• July 15- No Meeting
• July 22- Sandra Herman, Canal St. Coalition
• July 29- No Meeting

Check the website for updates and bulletins that include upcoming events. Meeting events are on the calendar. Speaker suggestions: contact Program Chairman, Andrew Legrand, al@speralaw.com.