[StBernard] 12 Louisiana agencies get money for extra cops

[Westley Annis]

12 Louisiana agencies get money for extra cops
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press writer
Published: Jul 28, 2009 - UPDATED: 5:35 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A move by the Obama administration to provide grants to
help keep police officers on the beat during the economic downturn will
benefit 12 law enforcement agencies in Louisiana.

Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder said on Tuesday
the money from the Community Oriented Policing Services program, called
COPS, was sent to places with the highest crime rates and the biggest
budgetary problems.

"I think it simply comes down to the situation we're in after Hurricane
Katrina," said St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jimmy Pohlmann.
"Pre-Katrina we had 400 people on the force, post-Katrina we're just getting
back up to 280. Some of that is simply funding. We don't have a lot of
businesses back yet and our sales tax is not what it was."

St. Bernard received $1,892,352 to pay the salaries of 14 new deputies.

The program will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for
entry level officer positions over a three-year period. Police departments
receiving the grants will then be required to fund the positions.

"We believe attrition will absorb the positions once the funding ends," said
New Orleans Police spokesman Bob Young. "In the meantime, it lets us get 15
more officers on the streets."

New Orleans got $2,523,345 to pay for the new hires.

Both St. Bernard and New Orleans are trying to rebuild their forces
following Hurricane Katrina, which hit in 2005.

The grants in Louisiana ranged from $68,876 to provide one additional
officer to the Tallulah Police Department to more than $3 million for the
Shreveport Police Department. In all, the grants will cover expenses for 88
new officers and $12.1 million in funding.

The other grants were as follows:

-Dillard University Department of Public Safety, $102,192 for one officer.

-Gretna Police Department, $692,872, for four officers.

-Kenner Police Department, $1,263,336 for eight officers.

-Leesville Police Department, $128,213 for one officer.

-Monroe Police Department, $1,133,289 for nine officers.

-St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office, $235,056 for three officers.

-St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, $629,512 for four officers.

-Shreveport Police Department, $3,300,426 for 27 officers.

-St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, $1,892,352 for 14 officers.

-Tangipahoa Police Department, $155,979 for one officer.

On the Internet: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/chrp(underscore)report.pdf
 
 

  
 
  
 

  
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