The plan drawn up by consultants hired to revamp the New Orleans Police Department's crime-fighting strategies amid record-low numbers of officers calls for officers from specialized units, detectives, and others to join patrolmen on the streets, according to a copy obtained by WWL-TV.
The idea is to put uniformed proactive crime patrols in the city's problem areas. If the surge of officers isn't enough, the report even suggests the NOPD close its Second District to redeploy those officers to the First and Sixth Districts.
"No one is exempt, regardless of rank or assignment," the draft report state. "Staffing levels on the street must rise to a level in which officers are safe."
The report notes that with fewer than 950 commissioned officers, "the department must move from the specialization model of past days to an ‘everyone must pitch in’ model."
The report is just recommendations, and it remains to be seen how many of the 50 suggestions will be acted upon.
Some of the changes were previously announced, like replacing Arlinda Westbrook as the commander of the Public Integrity Bureau.
