Tenisha Stevens
Criminal Justice Commissioner, City of New Orleans
What New Orleans neighborhood do you live in? Did you grow up there too?
I currently live in the Bullard Park neighborhood of New Orleans East. I grew up in the 7th Ward / Gentilly area, where I attended John F. Kennedy High School.
Describe your job in 25 words or less.
I am the Criminal Justice Commissioner for the City of New Orleans. It is my duty to carry out the vision of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and to make sure we have an effective criminal justice system for all New Orleanians.
Tell us about your career path.
At Dillard University as an undergrad, I majored in Sociology and minored in Criminal Justice. As a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, I did a lot of boots-on-the-ground volunteer work at a church in Central City where I served as a mentor/tutor to children of incarcerated parents. I then co-created a tutoring program!
Doing this kind of incredible work served as the inspiration for my career in Criminal Justice. I went on to obtain a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Administration from Southern University at New Orleans, spent eight years as a Civilian Analyst with NOPD, served as a Criminal Investigator for the District Attorney’s office, and also had a stint with the Louisiana Attorney General as a Special Agent for Medicaid fraud.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges in your role?
As we have been working on reforming our criminal justice system, we have been facing a lot of challenges in dealing with antiquated practices, equipment, and processes. One of the things we are working on is obtaining and maintaining a shared data system for all agencies of our criminal justice system. We are also working to improve reentry support to those previously incarcerated as they seek to acclimate into society.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy working for the Mayor and for this Administration, as I fall in line with her vision and mission. I care about people. As a native New Orleanian, I have an understanding of what these city’s struggles are and I want to work to find a way to help its people. For me, even just pointing someone in the right direction is a win. My ultimate goal is to make people smile, and for us to all work together and collectively move forward.
What is your favorite thing about New Orleans?
The culture, the food, the atmosphere, the music, and most importantly, the people. No city does it better.