A new gang of narcotics traffickers are challenging Louisiana police, but it's not who you'd expect.
New Orleans officers are hot on the tail of a group of thieving rats who have been stealing cannabis from the evidence room at police headquarters.
"The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high," superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told a council committee meeting on Monday (local time) according to Nola.com.
Ratting out the culprits was part of a pitch to get police into a better premises, with the current one covered in mould, with deteriorating elevators, plumbing issues, collapsed air conditioning and rodents leaving feces across desks.
"It is not just at police headquarters. It is all the districts. The uncleanliness is off the charts," Kirkpatrick said.
"The janitorial cleaning (team) deserves an award trying to clean what is uncleanable."
A New Orleans Police Department veteran, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the building had been infested with vermin for his nearly two decades on the force.
"You get a lot of rodents that climb through the walls. Some things you just can't get to, so there has always been some type of rodent, bugs, rats, mice, whatever."
He said it wasn't uncommon for officers to get sick after visiting the building.
The council is considering a 10-year lease on two upper floors of 1615 Poydras Tower - a temporary move while the department maps out future long-term housing.
