Shreveport Police Department is working with analyst Peter Bellmio on a patrol staffing study. But before any recommendations can be made, the department needs to know what level of service the community expects.
Currently, officers on patrol spend the majority of their time, about 80 percent, answering calls for service and doing administrative paperwork connected with those calls.
Only about 20 percent of their time is spent in proactive patrolling, which is policing the city to deter crime, observe possible criminal behavior or meet with neighbors and community groups to discuss crime and crime prevention.
The amount of time officers can spend in proactive policing, as well as their response times, can have an impact on the number of officers that are needed on the streets at any given time.
If citizens want a quicker response time and more proactive policing, it will require more manpower and therefore, more money.
"Before any recommendations can be made, we need to know what level of service the public wants," Chief of Police Mike Campbell said. "Do you want us to respond in six minutes or less? Do you want a third of our officers’ shifts being spent on proactive policing? These types of questions must be answered before we can know how much additional manpower we will need and how much it will cost."
City Council members have voiced concerns about crime in the city and the amount of manpower available. The department will be getting input from the council members, as well as citizens, to establish the level of service that is expected.