Today, the Lafayette Police Department is swearing-in and welcoming two new police officers, Neil Cain and Matthew Santerre. With these additions, the police department will now be at full staff and at the allotted strength of 142 officers. Since January of 2015, the Lafayette Police Department has hired 31 officers. The hiring strategy has followed an extensive process to identify qualified potential applicants, without lowering the standards necessary to provide the highest level of public safety service possible.
In the fall of 2015, Mayor Tony Roswarski and Chief Patrick Flannelly announced comprehensive crime prevention and community safety initiatives. In January 2016, with cooperation from the Lafayette City Council, the mayor and chief began implementing these comprehensive, multi-department initiatives.
To date, the following law enforcement aspects of the plan have been completed:
- Take-home Car Program Expansion – As of today, this program expansion has been fully realized. An additional 16 fully-marked patrol vehicles have been assigned and are being utilized by officers living within the city limits of Lafayette. These are police vehicles readily recognized by the people living in Lafayette and help to increase the department’s visibility within our neighborhoods.
- Sergeant in Administrative Services – A position has been created and filled within the Administrative Services Division. Sergeant Scott Galloway was promoted in February 2016 and is currently assigned to Administration. His main responsibilities fall within the Community Outreach and Crime Prevention Unit. He is also tasked with assisting Administrative Services with the hiring process and maintaining proactive contact with local neighborhoods.
In addition to the areas mentioned, being at full staff now allows the Lafayette Police Department to address the specific needs of the community’s crime issues and further strengthen its focus on areas identified in the crime prevention and community safety initiatives. The following details the open positions which will be filled within the coming months:
- Drug Task Force (1) – One new position will be filled with the Drug Task Force, expanding the Lafayette Police Department’s commitment to the investigation of drug and narcotics dealing and abuse.
- Street Crimes Unit (2) – Two positions will be filled with the Street Crimes Unit. The Street Crimes Unit is responsible for initiating investigations within areas requiring additional, proactive police attention. They also investigate street-level narcotics dealing and abuse, locate and arrest fugitives, and gather intelligence on any gang activity in greater Lafayette.
- Crime Prevention Unit (2) – Two positions will be filled within the Crime Prevention Unit. These Specialists will be tasked with crime analysis, project development, community engagement and identifying crime prevention opportunities.
- Communications Technician (1) – One position will be filled within the Communications Section. This Communications Technician will be assigned to the Street Crimes Unit to facilitate communication with the dispatch center and the Street Crimes Unit.
Community engagement continues to be a priority for the Lafayette Police Department. Our ongoing communication and valuable partnerships with the public across a variety of social media platforms continue to organically increase at an impressive rate. Membership on Nextdoor now encompasses more than 21% of Lafayette households and nearly 10,000 members. People continue to explore and utilize our Nixle alert system, Twitter feed, and Instagram account to interact with their police department more than ever before.
The Lafayette Police Department is passionately dedicated to public safety, crime reduction, and to the full implementation of the initiatives first presented to the community by Mayor Roswarski and Chief Flannelly. In a new era of policing, our vow to protect and serve is driven by our commitment to collaborate and engage with the citizens that call Lafayette home. Community participation is an essential piece of crime prevention that sends a clear, steadfast message that crime will not be tolerated.