In order to fix the staffing difficulties the department has faced throughout the pandemic, the NOPD chief met with the City Council Thursday to discuss a bigger budget for 2022.
Under Mayor LaToya Cantrell's proposed budget for the upcoming year, the NOPD will receive $193,822,403 in funding, $16 million more than this year’s budget. The extra funding will go toward restoring overtime and furlough pay for officers, which was taken away when the city tightened its spending due to COVID-19, and promotions for senior officers.
As of Thursday, the police department has 1,094 commissioned officers, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said, significantly short of their goal of 1,600 officers. The force has seen 131 separations in the past year, including 78 resignations, 44 retirements and five terminations. In 2020, the department had 96 separations.
NOPD used to average 400 to 500 employee applications a month “prior to George Floyd” and the police reform protests that followed, Ferguson said. Now, the monthly average of applications has fallen to 250.
"This isn't anything unique to New Orleans," Ferguson said. "The profession has taken a major blow with criticism."
According to Ferguson, the influx of retirements is due to a piece of statewide legislation meant to improve officer retention but is now negatively affecting the problem.
The legislation took effect July 1, which states that officers who retire before the effective date wouldn't be able to receive their pensions immediately. If they took on another career, they would have to wait two years to receive the payment. This has also impacted how many former police officers return to work in the reserve division or the department's Office of Secondary Employment, as they would not receive their pension.
The shortage of police staffing has impacted New Orleans in various ways, including last month, when the Krewe of Boo parade route was shortened by 17 blocks the day before the event due to lack of police officers signing up through the detail with New Orleans Police Secondary Employment. The staffing shortages could also impact Mardi Gras routes.
The criminal court spoke to the council Wednesday and said they are also struggling to hear cases at pre-pandemic levels because the NOPD is not providing enough manpower. And though crime overall has dropped compared to 2020, homicides and other violent crimes are increasing since a particularly bad year of violence in the city, according to the city’s crime dashboard.
Council President Helena Moreno said she is searching for unique ways to recruit more officers to join the New Orleans ranks, including offering housing for new prospects. Ferguson responded that other cities offer monetary bonuses, but tax breaks could also be used as an incentive. Later in the meeting, Nguyen offered the idea of free cable for a year.
One solution the city has put forward to ease the workload of the NOPD is to deputize certain city employees with the power to ticket residents and businesses for “quality of life” infractions. City officials said this would free up officers who currently are the only ones authorized to ticket offenses like illegal dumping and tour guide regulations. The measure is on the docket for the next council meeting, Nov 18.
The council's recent passing of a $15 minimum wage for city workers will increase the pay of 107 members of the police department, most working in the crime lab, Ferguson said.
The council is scheduled to continue reviewing city departments and their budgetary proposals until Nov. 19.