Page 24 - Second Annual EPIC Conference Brochure

BIOGRAPHIES
Panelists
Mary E. Howell
Civil Rights Attorney New Orleans, Louisiana
Mary Howell is a graduate of LSU and Tulane Law School. She has been in private practice in New Orleans as a civil rights lawyer for over 40 years. She has handled numerous cases involving police misconduct and prisoners’ rights and has represented New Orleans street musicians for years. She has represented many victims and their families in cases involving federal civil rights violations, hate crimes, homicides and sexual assaults. She has also represented and advised whistleblowers, including police officers, who have spoken out and exposed governmental corruption and wrongdoing. She has been involved for many years in various reform efforts regarding the NOPD and the Orleans Parish jail.
Lisa Kurtz
Compliance Manager
New Orleans Police Department
In her role with the New Orleans Police Department’s Professional Standards and Accountability Bureau, Lisa oversees compliance initiatives related to recruit and in- service training, crisis intervention, officer assistance, and bias-free policing. As part of the Department’s commitment to continually elevate the quality of service provided to all community members, Lisa leads a language access program and also serves as the NOPD’s civilian liaison to the local LGBTQ+ population. Lisa spearheads the Department’s work on EPIC, an innovative approach to peer intervention for officer safety and wellness. EPIC emphasizes that all officers have a responsibility to one another and to the community, and that all officers have a duty to prevent mistakes and misconduct and to protect the mental and physical wellbeing of their colleagues. EPIC provides officers with the tools and skillsets to ensure safe and effective policing while also promoting transparency and accountability, thereby fostering community trust.
23. | Second Annual National Police Peer Intervention Executive Leadership Conference