In response to the City Council’s call for a pause on all overtime amid a major cash crunch, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick warned that ending overtime could compromise public safety and that she will not scale back in a way that puts officers at risk.
“When it comes to your safety, it isn’t about money to me,” Kirkpatrick said at a news briefing. “I will work with you on the nonessential safety elements. But I am not going to let an officer get hurt, and I am not going to let the community be hurt because I am not willing to pay overtime.”
The response from Kirkpatrick, who heads a depleted police force that has come to lean on overtime pay for daily coverage and major events alike, came as the full impact of the city shortfall remained in doubt Thursday…