Tagged: police

The New Orleans police union is launching a study of officer morale and confidence in strategies of the department.

The Times-Picayune reports Capt. Michael Glasser, head of the Police Association of New Orleans, said the survey will highlight issues facing rank-and-file officers and help pinpoint matters that need to be addressed.

Glasser said Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas and his administration have dismissed officers' concerns, ranging from rising crime and questionable practices to failing crime-fighting strategies and management deficiencies.

HOUMA — A man charged with fatally shooting his sister and wounding her boyfriend was a paranoid schizophrenic who was off his medication, his brother says

Joseph Voisin, 44, has been arrested for killing Mary Voisin, 47, and wounding Christopher Smith, 45, Thursday at their home in Gray, La.

Sam Voisin, the suspect's brother, tells The Courier that there were no signs anything was wrong. Family members had finished dinner, and Mary Voisin and Smith went into a bedroom with Joseph Voisin while Sam Voisin watched TV.

The New Orleans Police Department's traffic division will conduct a sobriety checkpoint tonight in the "Uptown area," the department said in a news release.

The checkpoint will begin at approximately 9 p.m., and last until about 5 a.m. Friday morning. In addition to a lack of alcohol, police are advising motorists to have proper documentation if stopped, including proof of insurance and a driver's license.

"I would like to remind all drivers to always drink responsibly and use a designated driver," Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said in the release.

Prosecutors are urging a judge to reject defense attorneys' claims that a "secret public relations campaign" by federal authorities deprived five former police officers of a fair trial on charges stemming from deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge following Hurricane Katrina.

Authorities say William "Billy" Bretherton, star of the A&E reality TV show "Billy the Exterminator," has been arrested in Bossier City, La., on drug possession charges.

City spokesman Mark Natale says a warrant was issued last week for Bretherton and his wife, Mary, after items recovered from their hotel room tested positive for synthetic marijuana. They surrendered Friday.

Natale says police were called on April 28 to a Bossier City hotel following a 911 hang-up call from the room.