Natchitoches Police highlight technology upgrades, grants and new violent-crimes task force

Chief Nikhayo Collins told the audience the Natchitoches Police Department has pursued staffing increases, technology upgrades and grant-funded programs to address violent crime and improve community engagement.

"We have been successful in obtaining 24 awards totaling $857,972," Collins said, describing funding that has supported evidence-gathering tools, crash-reporting upgrades, new in-car and body-worn cameras with cloud upload and AI-enhanced cameras and license-plate readers. Collins said the department replaced a 20-year-old records management and computer-aided dispatch system to improve information sharing with partners, including the Natchitoches Parish District Attorney's Office.

Collins described a permanent violent-crimes task force created with funding from the rural and small development violent crime reduction program. "This task force is responsible for compiling all intelligence involving gangs and violent offenders, coordinating with our local, state, and federal partners to conduct operations that target offenders in our community," he said. The chief said the task force will use intelligence-based targeting to disrupt groups and interdict violent offenders.

Collins also described community engagement efforts — coffee-with-cops events, school activities and plans to restart an explorer program — and said the department is launching a citizens academy with support from a local partner, Grama Point. He said the agency uses citizen surveys to gather feedback about response quality.

The chief framed the mix of personnel incentives, recruitment marketing and technology investment as ways to retain employees and improve public safety outcomes. He thanked the mayor and council for pay increases and other support the department has received since 2021.