By Eileen Fleming
New Orleans, La. – City officials welcomed the opening of the police training academy in Gentilly. It had been in Jackson Barracks in the Lower Ninth Ward, but was demolished after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, there have been 11 classes of recruits, with more than 400 officers joining the department.
Mayor Nagin says those officers are preparing to start 12-hour shifts.
Superintendent Warren Riley says the long days are needed. Riley says the department has several other strategies to fight crime this summer. Those 12-hour shifts begin later this month. For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.