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Denham Springs looking to hire police officers

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DENHAM SPRINGS - The Denham Springs Police Department wants to hire more reserve police officers to patrol the streets of the city.

Right now, the police department has five reserve officers. Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry wants to eventually have reserves riding in two-man units, especially on weekends. That way officers will always have someone watching their back instead of going out on calls alone. Detective Glenn Lemoine says more officers would create safety in numbers.

"By having another officer there as backup that officer can focus on what he's dealing with at hand and not so much have to worry about what's coming up behind him," said Lemoine. "It's good having another backup officer there, cause things can go bad really quick from a traffic stop to a disturbance."

Of the 35 full-time officers, most of them started off in the reserve program. While the reserve job doesn't pay, the department says it is a great way to get your foot in the door.

"Once they become a reserve officer and realize hey maybe this is what I want to do for a living, then all they have to do is apply from within for a full-time position when that position opens up," said Lemoine. "We like to hire from our reserve program, because we know obviously who we're getting."

Leroy Golman, who owns a heating and air conditioning company in Walker, has served as a reserve officer for more than a decade. He works the required 12 hours a month to live his dream of wearing a badge and protecting his community.

"From changing tires on the side of the interstate to making arrests," he said. "You get the full training. You're able to get the experience, and a lot of times the full-time officers are chosen from the reserve force. So if this has ever been a dream of yours to be a reality, this is the time to do it and the place to do it at."

If you are interested in becoming a reserve officer, you can put in an application at the Denham Springs Police Department.

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