Big Easy Murder Cop Dishes on Dick Wolf’s New Docuseries ‘Homicide Squad New Orleans’

The Big Easy serves as the backdrop for A&E’s newest cop docuseries, Homicide Squad New Orleans. Cameras chronicle the work of the city’s police department as they honor their commitment to protect and serve. Each episode sees law enforcement take on a new case to investigate, where they’re tasked with finding the perpetrator, getting answers for the victim’s loved ones, and bringing them to justice. 

During each hour-long episode, the lead detectives and other members of law enforcement work together knowing every minute matters. Sgt. Rob Barrere takes pride in the unwavering dedication of his team. Something which shines through in each story from the show, which comes from Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment and 44 Blue Productions. 

Here Barrere provides us with intel on what’s to come this season. The show premieres January 1.

What are some of the cases you’re involved in that viewers will watch unfold? 

Sgt. Rob Barrere: There is one case around Mardi Gras where they killed this homeless man behind a business. It was this sexual assault murder that occurred. I was on the scene and assisted in getting the video. I assisted the lead detective Nick Davis with identifying the suspect. I also helped a bit where there is a ballistic connection between two cases. It’s revealed the same suspect was involved in both homicides four hours apart. 

What was the initial impression of the series? 

I did The First 48 years ago when they were here in the 2010s. I believe 2014. I was on a few episodes back then. The concept is pretty similar. They follow a detective or detectives as they try to solve homicides. It’s shot very well. I’ve seen some of the rough cuts. It looks really good. It’s very similar to The First 48 following an investigation in real-time. 

Sgt. Rob Barrere (A&E)

You really feel like you’re riding along with the detectives. How was it for you to show what goes into all this? You also feel the personal connection for these detectives and how that plays a role as well. 

On a personal note, I’ve been with NOPD for 20 years. I’ve been in homicide for 12. I can tell you that the longer you do this, the more it impacts you. It gets sad when you start looking at parts of the city and remember them when you worked a murder there. It’s a morbid type of thing where you may go to a Mexican restaurant and remember you worked a murder there. The longer you do this, the more you see these things. Many of the guys and girls in the unit live in the city, live in the neighborhoods, have personal connections to the communities they serve, and on the backend. They are super dedicated. They are stakeholders in this. They have relatives, loved ones, and friends who live there. Conversely, they get a lot of information from the citizens. It’s a really good two-way street. The rapport is paramount in this game. There is this trust and connection that is important because we can’t do this alone. 

I’m sure it’s also especially hard to try to keep your head in the game like in the premiere when the victim is a 15-year-old gunned down. 

I’ve been doing this for so long and notice over the years these homicides are getting younger and younger. As young as 12,13,14. I have three children. My oldest is 19. My youngest is 14. We go to these scenes and maybe standing over a 15-year-old kid. It’s a tragedy. Then you see the families arrive on the scene and grief-stricken loved ones come to terms with what’s going on behind the tape where we are. It’s terrible. From there, the grief never ends.

We’re almost inserted into this story. You learn so much about the victim and feel quasi-connected. You are going through social media, phone, and talking to families, you find out a lot about these young victims. Dealing with the grief is tough. Sitting in the room with a mother talking about her son, seeing how distraught they are. It’s things you never forget and impact us. It certainly lights a fire. We work 20-24 hours sometimes for these cases. It’s a grind where when you have leads and developments, you can’t go home thinking about a young kid gunned down at a street corner. It’s further fuel that drives investigators to work the case and move it forward. 

How do you compare the filming experience now versus a decade ago? 

We had some great field producers back then. The technology has advanced. They used smaller cameras, GoPro. Back then you may have one field producer on the scene whereas now there are multiple with different angles, and drone footage and you get a bird’s eye view of what’s going on from different vantage points. Some of the shows I’ve watched are sharp. Telling the same stories, but in a modern way. 

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What do you want to say to viewers before watching this? 

There is no city like New Orleans. We are very unique. The culture is very unique here. I’ve been here my whole life. We are a tight-knit community. Everyone knows everyone. Mardi Gras, the music, culture, architecture, and the way the city operates is different. I can tell you our team of detectives is unique. They are all different. They are not cookie-cutter. They are nonconformists, They have so many personalities. I think that is what makes New Orleans Homicide so unique. All these different personalities work together. You’ll see different skill sets whether it’s someone who writes reports, is good at technology, interviewing.

I’m a sergeant and work a lot behind the scenes now, but watching the way the guys and girls come together and work a case. It’s this autonomous thing. They know what they are doing, filling the gaps in perfectly. They look at each other’s strengths and weaknesses and strategically plan out the investigation. It’s great watching them come together and take an investigation and break it apart and put it back together again and solve it. I love it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I think we have some of the best detectives in the world. They are passionate and compassionate.I think the public will really enjoy watching them work, the way the city looks, the feel of it. It’s almost like film noir. We have a very different vibe here. It’s going to make for great television to see how we really work these investigations. It’s going to be really riveting for people.  

Homicide Squad New Orleans premiere, January 1, 10/9c, A&E