The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Twenty state troopers will help the New Orleans police department beef up its street patrols in an effort to curb violent crime.
Police chief Eddie Compass announced the state help at a news conference Tuesday. He also said 100 officers who currently do desk work or other support work will be reassigned to street duty one day each week.
Federal officers -- from the U.S. Marshals’ Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms -- have also pledged resources to help. Compass released little information about exactly how the state and federal officers would be used but said the stepped up efforts will focus on crime “hot spots.”
The bolstering of the force comes after a recent surge in killings in the city. At least a dozen people have been killed since the beginning of the July 4 weekend.
The New Orleans Police Department is still running close to 200 officers behind its goal in hiring for the current year, and a graduating class of recruits is already being counted in a total of 1,650 officers on the street.