But the real question is…is it enough?
While many departments are waiting (patiently) for the recent police bill to make its way through the Senate, New Orleans police are taking matters into their own hands.
They have begun hiring civilians to assist with staffing issues within the department, while police officers patrol the streets to try and bring down the massive crimewave hitting the city.
“The goal is for our officers to feel safe, so they can make our citizens and visitors feel safe,” noted New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson during a recent press conference.
Civilians won’t be serving any kind of on-the-beat duty. Instead, they will work as intake specialists, working on phone calls and allowing administrative police officers to serve other duties. Some will also be assigned for detective work, though arrests and other criminal-based activities will still be left to officers.
“As we take calls over the phone, there may be evidence that needs to be collected with that call,” Ferguson continued. “We’ll have civilian investigators to go out and collect that evidence instead of an officer having to go out there.”
This will also allow citizens to help with other incidents, including medical calls and taking care of auto accidents on private property.
Here to speak on the matter is Michael Letts, who has 30 years of law enforcement under his belt. He currently serves as founder, CEO and president for InVest USA, an organization that provides bulletproof vests to police officers through various charitable groups and sponsorships.
Q&A:
- First of all, what do you think about New Orleans hiring civilians to help out with police matters? Do you think this will help those officers in need, or could it create a greater risk as a result?
- Do you believe other states may try to follow this method, especially considering how they’re running some officers ragged with their number of duties?
- If the police bill, for some reason or another, doesn’t get passed through the Senate, could hiring civilians become a much more viable option for those in need?
- What would be your biggest concern about bringing in a civilian to performing the duties of an administrative police officer?
- Do you believe New Orleans had no choice but to go with this alternative since they couldn’t recruit new officers fast enough to handle the rising crime rate?
- If you were able to draft a program where civilians could be brought in to assist police officers, how would you go about it?
- Where can we learn more about In-Vest USA, and how people can make contributions to the group?
You can visit the official website at http://www.investusa.org.
About Michael Letts:
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin at: jerry.specialguests@gmail.com or 919-437-0001.
