NOPD Suspends Red Light Ticketing Program Pending Review
Police department pauses the red light camera review program while officer timesheets from last year are audited.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The New Orleans Police Department announced Monday, November 2, that it is suspending its Red Light Camera Review program while timesheets of officers who logged overtime in the program last year are reviewed. The pause follows the August 7 arrest of Senior Police Officer Brandon Coleman on 350 felonies tied to payroll fraud and theft.
Why it matters
The suspension halts a program that issued more than 170,000 red light tickets in 2025 while the department examines overtime records. For New Orleans residents, it raises questions about how automated enforcement is monitored and whether ticket reviews were performed as recorded.
Senior Police Officer Brandon Coleman was arrested August 7 and charged with 350 felonies tied to payroll fraud and theft over red light review overtime. The internal review covers officers who reviewed tickets in 2025, and the full scope of any additional charges remains unannounced.
The players
New Orleans Police Department (NOPD)
The city's primary law enforcement agency, responsible for policing New Orleans and administering the red light camera program.
Anne Kirkpatrick
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent who announced the suspension and the internal review of officer overtime.
Brandon Coleman
Senior Police Officer with the NOPD arrested on August 7 and charged with 350 felonies tied to red light review overtime fraud.
New Orleans Office of Inspector General
The city's independent watchdog agency that co-led the investigation into the overtime irregularities.
Louisiana State Police
The state's law enforcement agency that joined the investigation into Coleman's logged overtime hours.
The details
Investigators found Coleman logged red light camera review overtime hours without recording any actual reviews in the system, and reviewed tickets at speeds sometimes as quick as about 3 seconds each. NOPD Supt. Anne Kirkpatrick said the review followed media reports about overtime concerns, and the department paused the program after Coleman's arrest.
Timeline
2025: Officers issued more than 170,000 red light tickets during the year under review.
August 7: Senior Police Officer Brandon Coleman was arrested on 350 felonies.
Monday, November 2: NOPD announced the suspension of the red light ticketing program pending internal review.
Legal Context
Automated red light enforcement in U.S. cities has repeatedly drawn scrutiny over whether ticket reviews are performed as recorded, and this case tests the audit controls behind New Orleans' program. The charges against Coleman place the case within broader prosecutions of payroll fraud by public employees.
Drivers ticketed by the red light camera program in 2025 may have questions about whether their violations were reviewed as recorded. The program's pause means automated ticketing in New Orleans is on hold until the department completes its audit.
The takeaway
Automated enforcement depends on accurate internal records, and the New Orleans audit will test whether those records match what officers actually did. Residents can expect updates as the review of 2025 timesheets proceeds.
What happens next
The NOPD plans to reinstate the red light camera review program after its audit of the system, though no date has been given.
Further reading
For more on how local police agencies handle misconduct cases, see Law Enforcement coverage for New Orleans.
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