Central Police Requests Additional Funding

By Dave Freneaux
    At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the first meeting for the newly elected Mayor and Council, an ordinance was introduced to create a paid position of Assistant Police Chief at a cost of $43,783 per year, and to move the Police Department to larger offices at an additional cost of $13,200 per year.  This ordinance totaling $56,983 will come up for discussion, public comment and a vote at the July 22nd Council meeting.
    Since incorporation in 2005, the primary law enforcement in the City of Central has been provided by the EBR Sheriff’s Department.  EBRSO is the chief law enforcement provider for all of EBR Parish.  Central Taxpayers currently pay approximately $1.82 million per year for the services of the EBR Sheriff’s Department, which maintains a substation near the corner of Gurney and Sullivan.
    In 2013/14, in addition to the Chief’s Salary, Central taxpayers paid $100,000 to EBRSO for extra duty patrols and $63,060 for the general operation of the Central Police Department.  The budget for general operations was increased in June to $71,965 for 2014/15, and would increase to $128,948 if Central’s new City Council approves the additional funding.  Newly elected Chief Salsbury was granted a reduction in pay from $2,208 per month to $99 per month so that his retirement pay and benefits from the BR Police Department would not be affected.

How Central is Protected
    While EBRSO serves as the primary law enforcement agency in this area, Central’s first Chief of Police, Doug Browning, began a program of volunteer part-time officers.  Over Chief Browning’s nine years in office he grew that program to include ten volunteers and acquired five vehicles through grants and donations.  
    The EBR Sheriff’s Department provides the Central substation Captain and an average of five Deputies in each shift covering 24 hours a day working out of the Central Substation.  The Central substation covers almost all of Central and an area off of Greenwell Springs Road just south of Central.  EBRSO also staffs the Central substation and provides Armed Robbery, Burglary, Narcotics and General Detectives who work in Central and Parish-wide.