Short-Staffed New Orleans Police Hiring Civilians to Help Amid Violent Crime Surge

The New Orleans Police Department has resorted to enlisting civilians to fill various roles as the force faces staffing issues while battling the ongoing surge in violent crime.

Attorney Laura Rodrigue, who is working to oust New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, joined “Fox & Friends First” Tuesday to discuss why the new policy is so alarming and what it means for the community.

“Resorting to hiring civilians to respond to crime scenes is alarming to the residents and should be alarming throughout the country,” Rodrigue told co-host Todd Piro. “They came out and said that civilians will be responding to non-emergency calls that come in through 911.”

“The problem with that is within the last year, NOPD received over 100 calls for first-degree rape, first-degree rape being the most serious rape in Louisiana, carrying a mandatory life sentence, and they classified those as non-emergency,” she continued. {snip}

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The NOPD is also even scaling back its requirements to join the civilian program, overlooking low credit scores and prior marijuana use. 

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