The New Orleans Police Department is riddled with rats "high" on marijuana. According to the department's Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, the rodents infiltrated the office's evidence room and ingested the drug:
The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high.
Before council members at a meeting of the Criminal Justice Committee, Kirkpatrick said that rats are not the only problem. The department's facilities "are home to cockroach infestations, mold, lack of air conditioning, and non-functioning bathrooms and elevators," according to WWL Louisiana.
A job "in conditions that are not acceptable"
Kirkpatrick said that staff often come to work and find rat droppings. She stated that these poor working conditions can lower morale. The department is dealing with this as well as record staffing issues since its funding took a huge cut in 2020:
When we say that we value our employees, you can't say that and at the same time allow people to work in conditions that are not acceptable (...) Where you work, where you live, if it is not appropriate, it's going to always impact morale, so that has been a big factor. It's not just at police headquarters. It is in all districts. The dirt is off the charts (...) The cleaning (team) deserves an award for trying to clean what can't be cleaned.
City leaders discussed a plan to approve a lease to move the headquarters to a new building. The 10-year lease will cost around $670,000 a year, added to an estimated $300,000 to move staff to the new location. The move is scheduled for May 2024, although it still needs final approval from the council.
