New Orleans, Louisiana – The New Orleans police department is facing an unusual problem as rats in the city have been breaking into the evidence room at police headquarters and feasting on confiscated marijuana. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick revealed this shocking development during a recent council committee meeting.
The infestation of rodents in the building, coupled with maintenance issues such as broken elevators and non-functioning plumbing, has prompted Kirkpatrick to request a move for the headquarters. The current facility, built in 1968, is no longer deemed suitable for the department’s operations.
Kirkpatrick emphasized the urgent need for new premises, citing not only the rat infestation but also the presence of cockroaches and the overall uncleanliness of the building. She expressed concern about the impact on criminal cases due to the rats’ access to the evidence room.
Following Kirkpatrick’s presentation, the city’s criminal justice committee approved a motion for the department to lease two floors of a downtown office building for the next decade, pending a full council vote. The move would leave behind other tenants at the current criminal justice building, which is in a state of disrepair.
City officials acknowledged that addressing the police department’s facility issues is a top priority and that other agencies within the building may also require relocation. The situation underscores the challenges posed by aging infrastructure and the need for adequate resources to maintain suitable working environments for law enforcement.
This incident is not the first of its kind, with past reports from different parts of the world detailing similar encounters where rodents have targeted confiscated drugs at police facilities. The decision to relocate the New Orleans police headquarters reflects a broader issue of infrastructure inadequacies that law enforcement agencies face nationwide.