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New Orleans City Council could approve the NOLA Patrol quality of life and traffic officers in the French Quarter next month, after council members deferred action on the program at today's City Council meeting. Mayor Mitch Landrieu and city officials announced plans for the non-emergency police force in the French Quarter*in August, and its fleet of 50 uniformed, unarmed officers would respond to traffic, sanitation and quality of life issues in the area to free up existing New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers to handle violent crime and other serious offenses.

After comment from several business and residential groups, councilwoman Nadine Ramsey, whose District C covers the French Quarter, asked to defer a vote on the program, part of four ordinances involving French Quarter improvements, including the approval of the creation of the French Quarter Improvement Fund and the distribution of hotel taxes to support the neighborhood's new infrastructure changes.

"The creation of (NOLA Patrol) with this funding ? is not a substitute for growing the force size of the NOPD," said deputy mayor and the city's chief administrative officer*Andy Kopplin.? [ Read more ]

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