Why does it take so long for an officer to respond when we call the police?
Calls are prioritized according to the seriousness of the situation:

• Priority E - Any life threatening call with great possibility of death or serious injury, or any confrontation between people which could threaten the life or safety of any person.

  The call is entered into the computer within 30 seconds after location is learned. Call is dispatched within 30 seconds from the time call is entered to the closest available unit(s).

• Priority One - Any crime in progress which might result in a threat to injury of a person, or major loss of property, or immediate apprehension of a suspect. It also includes accidents with injury or other traffic incidents that create a traffic hazard.

  The call is entered within one minute from the time the location is determined. Call is dispatched within two minutes from the time call is entered.

• Priority Two - Includes minor in progress/just occurred calls where there is no threat of personal injury or major loss of property.

  Delay in call dispatched not to exceed 30 minutes from time call is received.

• Priority Three - Includes nuisance calls, civil standbys, and any incident which could be categorized as a delayed report where the reporting person is at a public location.

  Up to one hour dispatch time.

• Priority Four - Calls include reports taken by Teleserve, or our callback officers. Calls dispatched involve events where a delay will not prevent a crime from occurring, aid in an immediate apprehension of a suspect, or cause a delay in an injured person receiving aid.

  Up to three hour dispatch time.

• Priority Five (Humane Calls) - Assigned to a Humane Officer to handle. A higher priority can be assigned to a humane call if deemed necessary. This can include vicious dog at large, livestock loose in the street, and injured animals.

Can I shoot someone if they are trying to break into my house, or do I wait until they get inside, then shoot?
This is a very complicated subject. Use of force is generally illegal and is allowed only within very narrow limits. You should also realize that there are a number of other legal risks involved in your choice to use force.

Deadly force is force that is likely to cause death or serious physical injury; for example, use of a gun, knife, or baseball bat. Non-deadly force is anything less; for example, punching or shoving someone. There are four situations that the use of force against another person is "legally justified," and each has specific guidelines that must be met to avoid criminal liability:

• Self defense
• Defense of another person
• Prevention of certain crimes
• Law enforcement

If something is happening and I don't know if it is considered an emergency, will I get in trouble if I call 911?
No. Actually all calls go to the same operators, but since they have fewer emergency lines they will ask you to call back on the non-emergency phone number (which they will give you) so the 911 line can be cleared immediately. If it is an emergency for another agency or area they will take the information or transfer your call.

If I call and complain about a neighbor or someone on my street, do I have to give my name, address, and phone number (if I fear retaliation)?
No; however, it is helpful to have that information in case we need to re-contact you for additional information. If you want to actually file a complaint and have a report taken, you do have to give your personal information.

I have speeding cars on my neighborhood street. What can we do to slow them down?
There are two programs that can help you deter this type of activity.

• Contact LPSO Communications
  Contact the Communications Office at (225) 686-2241 and request to have a radar patrol for your neighborhood.

• Speed Trailer
  The Speed Trailer is available to neighborhoods on a registration basis only. The trailer "clocks" the speed of the approaching vehicle and posts it for the driver to see. It is a visual warning device.

How do we get traffic signs for our neighborhood, like a stop sign or speed limit sign?
Stop signs especially can work when applied in the right situation. Stop signs, however, are not generally used to control a speeding problem. For questions about stop signs or other types of traffic signs call your local parish representative.