NEW ORLEANS – Help is on the way for the New Orleans Police Department, which has been struggling with a manpower shortage.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed a contract with a private company, On Scene Services, that responds to traffic accidents.
Cantrell posted a video on Instagram Thursday announcing the deal.
According to OSS CEO Ethan Cheramie, the contract was awarded to OSS around November or December.
“This contract has been a long time coming. About a year or so,” said Cheramie, “With the holidays and Mardi Gras, we finally got it perfected earlier this week with Mayor Cantrell.”
Eyewitness News asked the Mayor’s office why it has taken so long to sign the agreement, but they did not give us an answer.
The Mayor said in a statement:
“These services are a tool and a force multiplier for our New Orleans Police Department and will provide civilian response to traffic accidents and other on-the-ground support services.
This will free up our police officers and help get the response our residents need in the event of a traffic accident.
It’s been a long time coming and we’re excited to move forward.”
On Scene Services began as a pilot program nearly five years ago with two cars that responded to traffic accidents in Orleans Parish.
“The majority of car accidents in New Orleans are minor accidents without serious injuries where a person is transported to the hospital. And that’s going to be our main focus; to help people get in and out and get on with their lives Cheramie said.
Next month, they plan to expand to seven units working seven days a week.
According to Cheramie, this would reduce the NOPD’s call load by 10,000 calls per year, which equates to about 13 NOPD officers or 25,000 hours saved.
“We can free up that armed officer’s time to respond to a higher priority, violent type call,” Cheramie said.
At this time, responding officers are retired, unarmed NOPD officers who can fill out accident reports.
OSS is hiring retired or reserve officers in the New Orleans area.
According to Cheramie, OSS pays $30 an hour, with opportunities to earn more.
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