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Slidell residents concerned that lack of officers can lead to higher crime rate

.“Slidell is a safe place to live, don't get me wrong. We have to continue to provide that public safety. In order to do so, you have to have police officers.

SLIDELL, La. — SLIDELL, La. -- Where there were once quiet woods along Town Center Parkway, there is now the sound of machinery and crews building another apartment complex.

But progress is outpacing the police department here, the chief said, leading him to worry that a recent uptick in non-violent crime could result in more serious problems in the future.

“Those are the small things that, unfortunately, lead to bigger things at times,” said Daniel Seuzeneau, a Slidell Police Department spokesman.“Slidell is a safe place to live, don't get me wrong. We have to continue to provide that public safety. In order to do so, you have to have police officers. You have to have good police officers. You have to have well-compensated police officers. So that's the problem.”

The Police Department said it responded last year to 27,736 calls, approximately 76 a day.

That means there are fewer patrols than department leaders would like and less presence in neighborhoods.

“I used to always see them (officers on patrol) in Lake Village where I reside,” said Darlene Lyncker, a Slidell resident. “No, you don't see them anymore. They need to hire more. I just hope it's not higher taxes, though.” 

“In order to stop crime from happening, you must be proactive. We're still doing that, but we're supplementing that manpower through overtime and state and federal grants. We shouldn't have to do that,” Seuzeneau said. 

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