NEW ORLEANS —
The New Orleans Police Department held a virtual public meeting Tuesday to discuss an emerging plan to let certain non-police city government workers issue municipal court citations and fines, just as police officers do.
The plan won city council approval in mid-December. Supporters argue it will bolster enforcement against so-called "quality of life" offenses -- including littering, illegal dumping, public obstruction and spitting on sidewalks -- so NOPD officers can focus on enforcing criminal actions.
"This will increase quality of life and our public health enforcement efforts without creating additional staffing burdens on the New Orleans Police Department." NOPD deputy superintendent Otha Sandifer said.
The move lets the NOPD deputize employees from the Department of Public Works, the Department of Sanitation, the Ground Transportation Bureau, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the city's pest control board. Deputized workers must undergo background checks, NOPD-based training, and annual reviews. They would not be able to carry guns or make arrests.
But the plan remains controversial. Some opponents worry deputized city workers will abuse their power.
Other critics doubt the effectiveness of non-officers doing what has historically been an officer's job.
"Code enforcement by deputized civilians will not be the answer," Police Association of New Orleans President Mike Glasser told WDSU. "It will cause more...
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