NEW ORLEANS — Officers with the New Orleans Police Department are now able to get overtime again after it was temporarily cut amid the pandemic.
“Crime, specifically violent crime has been on the rise consistently over the last few months so this is a significant resource,” said NOPD superintendent Shaun Ferguson during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Ferguson says the overtime will be used to fight violent crime and help officers further investigate those crimes. It will also be used towards recruiting new officers and help the department explore ways to build relationships with neighbors.
“This is not simply about just using overtime because we have overtime,” said Ferguson. “We will be making strategic, very intentional decisions about how this will be used.”
The mayor announced the reinstatement of overtime for police and fire over the weekend after cut backs were made last year because of the pandemic. At Tuesday's press conference, Cantrell also announced information about reinstating overtime for EMS.
“It is very important to the public safety of this city that we move forward granting the resources necessary,” Cantrell said.
City leaders say eliminating overtime helped New Orleans save between $15-to-$18 million.
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