NEW ORLEANS — State troopers could become a more common sight in New Orleans. This week, the leader of Louisiana State Police announced members of a permanent state police troop intended to help the understaffed NOPD have been deployed since January. He said more will arrive in the months to come.
Governor Jeff Landry announced the plan for a permanent state police troop in New Orleans when he first took office. He called the chronically understaffed NOPD “in shambles” and said the troopers would help patrol the streets.
Friday Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges announced progress on the formation of the troop. “There’s a major and a captain and lieutenants and sergeants,” he told a group gathered for a GNO Crimestoppers luncheon, “and troopers that have been actively patrolling since January.”
WWL Louisiana asked him how many there were and how many he hoped to have. He would not say, joking that in “military” strategy “you never want to show the enemy your battle plan.” He did add, though, that he thinks “the presence of uniformed troopers [will be] evident moving forward.”
Saturday an LSP spokesperson said the troopers had been helping the NOPD’s Violent Crime Abatement Investigation Team with “proactive patrols” and “investigative efforts.”
This is not the first time state troopers have patrolled the streets of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, LSP formed the temporary Troop N, and troopers are a regular sight during big events like Mardi Gras. City leaders have mostly reacted positively to the plan to create a permanent troop. At a press conference last month NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the department is “thankful to be having a uniform presence of additional troops coming in.”
Others are still wary. City Councilmember Oliver Thomas told WWL Louisiana he still has questions about how Troop NOLA will operate, including who they report to and how they will adhere to the federal consent decree that was enacted in response to alleged civil rights violations by officers. “There are a lot of boxes that need to be checked,” he said.
One that has been, at least for now, is how the troop will be funded. State lawmakers passed a bill that includes $19 million for LSP, some of which will specifically help to outfit Troop NOLA. Supt. Hodges said he is hoping lawmakers will pass more permanent funding during the upcoming regular legislative session which begins Mar. 11.
After that, the troop will expand, and “will eventually look similar to the other nine,” said Supt. Hodges.
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