(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) On Feb. 15, 2024, Gov. Jeff Landry, R–La., declared a state of emergency over a shortage of law enforcement officers in the state.
The announcement was made in an executive order that came just days before the legislature will meet for a special session on crime, which will focus on strengthening the criminal justice system and repealing soft-on-crime policies, Landry said.
The Louisiana Sheriffs Association reported that there is a shortage of 1,800 deputies as of July 2023, according to the Daily Wire.
“As a former police officer and sheriff’s deputy, I understand the vital role our law enforcement officers play in our communities. Currently, our state is facing a shortage of officers, resulting in increased crime and less public safety. Today’s executive order and the upcoming crime special session will ensure our law enforcement officers are supported and we can begin to bring law and order back to our state,” Landry stated.
BLM and Defund the Police movements that resulted in the national police officer shortage affected the state of Louisiana with “departments experiencing record-low employment and an increase in police officer response times resulting in an increased threat to the lives, property and safety of persons within the state of Louisiana,” the executive order said.
The Louisiana Sheriff’s Association praised the executive order and highlighted “the importance of the law enforcement profession and our state’s desperate need to fill valuable front-line deputy positions.”
Landry told the legislature during the special session to look at restricting parole eligibility, expanding the criteria to revoke parole and probation, increasing penalties for carjackings, upgrading illegal use of weapons to the violent crime category, granting immunity under certain conditions to peace officers, and creating a criminal offense for the marketing of fentanyl to minors.
“This special session begins to fulfill the campaign promises we made to the people of Louisiana to make our State Safe Again. No one, regardless of their neighborhood or zip code, should feel unsafe. We all want safer communities. We will defend and uplift our law enforcement officials and deliver true justice to crime victims who have been overlooked for far too long,” he said.
