The pools have always been an additional or extra duty. Just like working for Brookshire’s, the bank, Super 1, etc. We are over 150 officers short now, and that number has remained consistent. There is a lot of extra work and overtime. Officers are exhausted and the pools have had a hard time finding people that want to work.
Now, the administration has decided to send on-duty patrol officers to cover the pools. Although this is not an unlawful order, Police Supervisors and officers consider this an unreasonable burden on an already short-staffed shift. Every day, you see and report the news in Shreveport. The officers we have on patrol need to be available and ready to respond to criminal activity at a moment’s notice.
That is the primary mission of patrol, and the mission needs to be completed. The pools are important for summer fun, but public safety must be prioritized according to the real world danger that officers face in Shreveport. SPOA needs this administration to reconsider this action.
Official statement from the Shreveport Police Officers Association.
Michael E. Carter, Ph.D. President, SPOA