Fewer staff than usual, combined with an increase in crime, is affecting the department and the city.
Bogartha, Louisiana — Crime isn’t just a big city problem. The small city of Bogalusa was also rocked by deadly violence last year that will continue into 2023. According to the Bogarsa Police Department, in 2022 he will have nine murders in the city.
“It’s shocking that there were so many people. Our average is 2-3 years a year, but we’re spending 2-3 years more than that. You might expect it to go up and down. But 2022 was terrible, Chief of Investigation, Bogalusa Police Department.
The increase in crime, like many other police departments across the state, is occurring when the department is short of officers. Fewer staff than usual, combined with an increase in crime, is affecting the department and the city.
“We’re definitely down on headcount. It’s a lot less now than when I was first hired. Almost 40% less than when I was hired. I can say that crime hasn’t improved either that’s why our employees are skinny so going out and policing your neighborhood and building community ties means you have so few and so many phone calls “It’s difficult when you’re responding to,” Miller said.
New mayor Tyrin Truong has written to Governor Edwards asking for resources to combat the crime surge. In the letter, Truong asks Governor Edwards for help from the state police and the National Guard, but Miller doesn’t think the city’s crime problem is at the stage where it needs the military right now.
“It would be great to have some extra help. I don’t know how realistic it would be to ask our military to join us. It would be great to have some extra help. I think the right approach would be: I think it’s more so as we try to recruit more police officers, hire more people and try to be like that, but if you want to send extra help, we always have extra help available,” Miller said. “I don’t think I’m in a place where I need to intervene and ask the military to do something like that, but at the same time the fact that we’re short-handed and the mayor wants to reach out. We are looking for more people.”
The mayor is working to install crime surveillance cameras, according to the police department. In comments to WWL, city councilor Gloria Kates said the city is doing all it can to put in place mechanisms to reduce crime, including mentoring and possible curfews. increase.
