The shortage of gun toting Shreveport Police officers is a long-playing broken record. Without tackling this gordian knot, one solution to help is to contract a private company for alternative police response services.
New Orleans has contracted with On Scene Services (0SS) for traffic incident management. OSS responds to non-injury accidents.
OSS agents can file accident reports from their vehicles, call tow trucks and help drivers find alternative transportation. This service frees up post certified police officers from spending 2 hours or more responding to the scene, investigating the accident and then filing accident reports. This time savings can be utilized for patrolling and responses to more serious incidents.
OSS agents are NOT dispatched to drunk driver incidents.
OSS vehicles are placed at strategic locations based on accident histories. This reduces response times.
In New Orleans, all of the OSS agents are former law enforcement officers familiar with traffic incident protocols. They file accident reports from their vehicles.
They also handle low level mental health calls that do not need the SPD mobile crisis teams from the 911 center.
In NOLA the non-injury and non-drunken driver calls comprise 85% of all traffic incidents. OSS does not have jurisdiction on federal highways, including Interstate 10 and U.S. 90 over the Crescent City Connection.
OSS does not work for free, but neither do SPD officers. Funding for these services will need another CAO Tom Dark “rabbit out of the budget hat”, but he has worked his money magic tricks many times before. The suggested 3% city employee pay raise and purchase of vehicles is the latest example.
And while considering contracting an outside service, SPD Chief Smith should consider replacing SPD officers with non-police personnel for routine administrative tasks that do not require a law enforcement background. He could start with the two SPD officers in the ABO office that issue permits.
The city’s finances are what they are. While spending on some programs like Paint Your Heart out may be considered sacrosanct, no can argue that either more police officers are needed or some duties assigned to them should be removed in a fashion that does not adversely affect law enforcement.
No doubt the proposed 2026 budget has other line items could be reduced and/or eliminated to provide funding for alternative response agents. To do so before an election year will require drastic action by dedicated good government advocates versus people seeking reelection next year.
Don’t hold your breath.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.