New Orleans Police Chief: “All the Rats are High”

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There are a lot of changes and upgrades in the future for the Shreveport police department including new substations, equipment, and even a new headquarters.  But as bad as the existing police headquarters in Shreveport might be... it isn't as bad as they are dealing with in the Big Easy.

Police headquarters, located on Broad Street in New Orleans has major issues like no air-conditioning, broken elevators, and... rats.  In fact, according to a recent report from WWL-TV, rats are eating drugs, including the marijuana, that's been locked away in the evidence room.

New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick says rats are getting in the evidence room and eating drugs at NOPD headquarters. 

"The rats eating our marijuana, they're all high." 

Chief Kirkpatrick also said that sometimes staff find rat droppings on their desks. 

"When we say we value our employees, you can't say that and at the same time allow people to work in conditions that are not acceptable," she said. 

It may not be Nirvana in Shreveport, but I haven't heard of reports like this. But in New Orleans, where morale is already at dangerously low levels, this can't be helping.

"Where you work, where you live is not appropriate. It's going to impact morale, so that has been a big factor."  Chief Kirkpatrick

The good news for the New Orleans police department is that they are planning to move out of the existing building soon.  It would cost approximately $30 million to renovate the existing building, but only around $300,000 to move to a new building on Poydras Street across from the Superdome.

New Orleans CAO Gilbert Montano says the new building comes with a 10-year lease, and the rent will be more than $670,000 annually.