New Orleans city leaders are reworking the 2023 budget to help fix a growing problem of officers leaving the city.The main focus for city council members is how to keep them and add more as crime surges across New Orleans. “It’s awful, I think we’ve lost over 80 officers so far this year,” said Claude Schlesinger, Council of Fraternal Order of Police New Orleans. “We’re down from 1,740 in the time of Katrina; we’re close to 900 right now.””We need to stop the hemorrhaging,” Schlesinger said.Thursday, city officials presented the public safety recruitment and retention solution plan to the city’s council budget review board. Part of the city’s incentive and retention plan is giving a one-time payment of $5,000 per officer. Then an incentive package for years 5, 10, 15 and 20. Schlesinger says the department needs more than just incentives like take-home cars.”It would increase the visibility of police in the city,” Schlesinger said. “For one thing it would certainly help morale for officers.”Also, he says they need to see more action.”Past administrations have lied to the police about what to expect and what will happen,” Schlesinger said. “Oftentimes they have not lived up to those promises.”When WDSU asked council member Joe Giarrusso about these concerns he said this council will follow through.“We don’t execute, we legislate,” Giarrusso said. “So once we’ve given that money to somebody, we need to make sure that it’s being spent the right way appropriately.”Members of the community say we have no time to wait.”We need to look at things that we can do right now because babies are getting killed gun violence is at an all-time high people are afraid,” said Morgan Clevenger, president of the Fairground Triangle Neighborhood Association in Seventh Ward.If this plan is voted through the incentives would start as early as March 2023.
New Orleans city leaders are reworking the 2023 budget to help fix a growing problem of officers leaving the city.
The main focus for city council members is how to keep them and add more as crime surges across New Orleans.
“It’s awful, I think we’ve lost over 80 officers so far this year,” said Claude Schlesinger, Council of Fraternal Order of Police New Orleans. “We’re down from 1,740 in the time of Katrina; we’re close to 900 right now.”
“We need to stop the hemorrhaging,” Schlesinger said.
Thursday, city officials presented the public safety recruitment and retention solution plan to the city’s council budget review board.
Part of the city’s incentive and retention plan is giving a one-time payment of $5,000 per officer. Then an incentive package for years 5, 10, 15 and 20. Schlesinger says the department needs more than just incentives like take-home cars.
“It would increase the visibility of police in the city,” Schlesinger said. “For one thing it would certainly help morale for officers.”
Also, he says they need to see more action.
“Past administrations have lied to the police about what to expect and what will happen,” Schlesinger said. “Oftentimes they have not lived up to those promises.”
When WDSU asked council member Joe Giarrusso about these concerns he said this council will follow through.
“We don’t execute, we legislate,” Giarrusso said. “So once we’ve given that money to somebody, we need to make sure that it’s being spent the right way appropriately.”
Members of the community say we have no time to wait.
“We need to look at things that we can do right now because babies are getting killed gun violence is at an all-time high people are afraid,” said Morgan Clevenger, president of the Fairground Triangle Neighborhood Association in Seventh Ward.
If this plan is voted through the incentives would start as early as March 2023.
