NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) – New Iberia residents are worried about crime in the area and they’re looking at all their options. Currently, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office patrols the city of New Iberia.

Mayor Freddie DeCourt spoke with the College Park and Southwoods Park Neighborhood Watch Thursday night about possibly adding a police department back to the city.

“Not everyone is satisfied with the way the law enforcement is working and it’s very difficult for the sheriff’s department to patrol both the parish and the city,” Preston Hull said, director of the neighborhood watch.

Mayor Decourt is proposing a half-cent sales tax to bring back the city’s police department.

“I think that’s what’s missing and I think that 71 officers only dedicated to us gives us enough of a concentration to deal with our crime issues,” DeCourt said.

“It’s crimes of opportunity mostly, leave a car unlocked, leave something of value in it, they’re going to check. They’re going to find it,” Hull said.

DeCourt said adding city police could cost more than 7 million dollars.

If passed, DeCourt said he’s ready to have a police department in place by July.

“I have a chief selected. He’s working very successfully in another community so we’ll leave it at that. We have been working on our policies and manuals which are catered directly to New Iberia,” DeCourt said.

Hull said his neighborhood has only had one crime in the past thirty days. He said he isn’t sure all residents are willing to pay for a new tax.

“I don’t see a lot of support for a new tax increase in this economy. I think it’s going to be very difficult to get enough support for it to pass,” Hull said.

For now, DeCourt said he’ll continue speaking with other neighborhood watch groups, businesses, and residents about adding police back, a move he says will save the city.

The half-cent sales tax proposal for a new police department will be on the October ballot.