NOPD welcomes academy graduates, but how many officers do they need?

This morning, the New Orleans Police Department graduates a class of new recruits, officially making them rookie police officers.

This recruit class should push NOPD above the 900 mark for officers, but that is a number the department has been stuck around that number for years.

Former New Orleans Police Chief and Loyola professor Ronal Serpas says the NOPD needs to take a close look at their staffing needs.

"The NOPD has to have a professionally done staffing and deployment analysis," said Serpas. "If the number is thought to be 1,200, and they're at 900, and they're still having success, does that mean they don't need 1,200, they need 900, or does that mean if they have 1,200 they could do more success?"

While the department has been resistant to the idea that it doesn't need to add hundred more officers, Serpas says their current number of officers seems to be working.

Serpas also said that keeping experienced cops around is as important, if not more so, as hiring new ones.

"It takes two weeks for people to resign, it takes thirteen months to get people into that same police car," he said.