Monday 26 September 2022 04:56 AM Now CIVILIANS are being trained to do detective work in New Orleans as it ... trends now
New Orleans Police Department have resorted to hiring civilians to do detective work among other tasks as cops struggle to keep up with crime rates that have marked the city as the murder capital of the US.
The city is facing a shortage of officers amid the spike in crime, which has forced authorities to relax hiring requirements and take on civilians to assist with service calls and administrative tasks.
Police officials announced that police presence is no longer required for issues such as forgery calls, medical calls, certain theft cases, lost animals and auto accidents on private property, leaving civilians to deal with them.
NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson announced the changes on Tuesday, and also indicated the department changed hiring policies around credit score and marijuana use to help beef up the force.
'My message to you - to those of you may have been disqualified in the past, I'm urging you to resubmit your application because some of our hiring criteria has changed,' said Ferguson.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, center, spoke about the new plan for the force and confirmed they will have 'civilian investigators to go out and collect that evidence'
The department hopes to relocate officers to patrols in the city to deter crime, and placing civilians on administrative duties will free up those officers to do so
The plan, implemented on Sunday, is partly intended to reduce the average 11-minute response time in the city
The civilians who apply will be required to undergo training curriculums and background checks before being hired. The civilian hires will mostly be taking calls, but some will be asked to hit the field.
'As we take calls over the phone, there may be some
