Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal released the Slidell Police Department’s 2020 Uniform Crime Reports. Overall crime increased 9% from 2019. The positive news is that violent crime was down 8%. The spike was due to an 11% increase in property crime, such as burglaries and thefts.
Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal says Slidell remains a very safe place to live; however, the police chief has concerns about the police department’s future, and the potential adverse effects on public safety. Fandal said they have been working short-handed for the last several years, but this year has been the worst. He said officers are jumping from call to call, with little to no downtime. He said this creates a reactive police force, not a proactive one. Fandal said has been in discussions with members of the Slidell City Council, Mayor Greg Cromer, and other city leaders about the police department’s challenges and that they are working together to come up with a solution.
