NOPD leaves FEMA trailors
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008NOPD’s 3rd moves into home of its own
All police districts finally out of trailers
The Times-Picayune
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
By Brendan McCarthy
After working from a handful of trailers for about three years, members of the New Orleans Police Department’s 3rd District are settling into an office building in the Mirabeau Gardens neighborhood near City Park.
The 90 officers assigned to the district, which covers a wide swath of the city between the Industrial and 17th Street canals, began moving days before Thanksgiving into the new home near Paris and Mirabeau avenues.
“It feels great to have office space,” Maj. Greg Elder, commander of the district, said Tuesday.
The unit was working out of a group of squat trailers near the old 3rd District Station in the 1700 block of Moss Street. It sustained heavy damage in Hurricane Katrina. Because the city did not own the site, it was not eligible for FEMA aid.
The move marks the end of NOPD districts operating out of trailers. Though some districts are using donated buildings and space, all are under legitimate roofs. Some smaller specialized units, however, remain in trailers.
The new 3rd District site has restrooms, parking and actual office doors — a marked improvement on the old digs.
“I haven’t heard a complaint from any officer,” Elder said.
The city bought the new site recently. It’s unclear what will happen to the state-owned land in the 1700 block of Moss Street.
