Why Does Louisiana State Government Have to Approve SPD Shift Changes?

State Rep. Alan Seabaugh explains how the possible move to twelve-hour-shifts for the Shreveport Police Department begins with the Louisiana legislature.

Seabaugh explains that it is state law that any municipality in the state with a population of 70,000 or more is mandated to operate their local police department in three, eight hour daily shifts.

"I have no idea where the statute came from," he says, "But it is in state law. This bill does not actually change anything. It doesn't change the system. It just gives (SPD Chief) Ben Raymond and the Mayor (Adrian Perkins) the option (to move to two, 12 hour shifts) if they choose to...and this is just the first step."

Seabaugh also explains that he was approached by Chief Raymond and his attorney about introducing the bill in the just-underway legislative session and emphasizes that that he has the best interests of the SPD at heart. "I'm not going to do anything against police officers," he says, "This is an attempt to help the police department get more officers on the street because they're having staffing problems.

"It's just putting another tool in the toolbox to allow them to address some of the problems that they have."