Baton Rouge Police Propose Hiring Retired Officers as Part-Time 'Support Specialists'

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 13, 2026

The Baton Rouge Police Department has proposed a Police Support Specialist Program that would hire 20–25 retired law enforcement officers for administrative and operational roles at $40/hour, capped at 29 hours per week with no benefits. The program targets officers with at least 20 years of sworn experience to address a staffing shortage of over 100 officers without adding full-time headcount or benefit costs. Officials view the model as fiscally responsible and potentially replicable, noting comparable programs at neighboring agencies. The initiative reflects a broader trend of municipal agencies using structured part-time, retired-workforce arrangements to manage capacity gaps.