The NOPD is fighting crime, with fewer officers, and while the department is hiring, there are not a whole lot of takers.
"This isn't anything that's unique to New Orleans," said New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson. "This is something that is happening across the country, across this profession."
Chief Shaun Ferguson says that's why they're going to be deputizing city employees for low-level code enforcement matters. He says it also means they have to work harder not just to fight crime, but encourage people to join up and earn a badge.
"Public safety agencies from across the country are pulling from the very same pull so we have to be creative in how we are recruiting," Ferguson said.
The cops have to deal with this on top of a busy autumn, with an increase in car jackings.
"We're never happy to have the most number of reported carjackings in one month to have just occurred in the last month of November," said Ferguson. But despite that, he says they are catching a lot of them.
"We've made several arrest, 16 arrests and one warrant obtained for an individual just yesterday," said Ferguson.
NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson provides updates on recent arrests.
Posted by New Orleans Police Department on Thursday, December 2, 2021
