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MAYOR NAGIN AND SUPERINTENDENT RILEY HOST RIBBON CUTTING FOR POLICE SPECIAL OPERATIONS FACILITY

Section: Politics

MAYOR NAGIN AND SUPERINTENDENT RILEY HOST RIBBON CUTTING FOR

NOPD SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION

Location will house staff and provide secure storage

NEW ORLEANS, LA (July 9, 2008) - The City of New Orleans took another
major step toward the full recovery of its public safety system when
Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley hosted a
ribbon cutting ceremony at the new home of the NOPD's Special Operations
Division (SOD) this morning.


The City's Department of Property Management located and purchased a
facility at 1899 Tchoupitoulas St. The 92,000 square-foot building was
previously used as a precious metals warehouse and originally served as
a cotton storage facility.

Special Operations is a highly skilled and trained unit which handles
major emergencies and special events. The division consists of
approximately 70 people and hosts approximately 85 additional persons
from neighboring law enforcement agencies when support is requested.
SOD also manages a fleet of specialized vehicles and amphibious
equipment, much of which were acquired as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

"This building will provide our officers with the space they need to
continue their important work," said Mayor Nagin. "Since Hurricane
Katrina, the recovery of our public safety system has been our top
priority. This facility is a symbol of our commitment to providing the
tools that are needed to ensure the safety of our citizens and city."

The Special Operations Division, the NOPD Third District Station and the
New Orleans EMS were located on Moss Street prior to Hurricane Katrina.
That location is owned by the State of Louisiana and is under the
control of the Louisiana National Guard, experienced severe damages
during the storm and the subsequent flooding.

The decision was made to purchase a new facility rather than waiting for
the State to renovate the Moss Street site or to lease a site and expend
critical, limited staff time, costs and effort to negotiate, build out,
organize and implement multiple location changes in order to move these
critical units from trailers. In addition, the units are moving to a
larger location in an area that did not flood during Hurricane Katrina
and which allows additional equipment and supplies to be stored inside a
more secured facility. This facility is better able to meet the needs
of this unit post Katrina due to its size, interior loading dock, the
soundness of the structure, interior expansion capabilities, and
location.


"I would like to thank the Mayor for continuing to put public safety
first," said Police Superintendent Warren Riley. "This building is
instrumental in our continued progress and efforts towards making New
Orleans a safer city."

The City purchased the new facility for $5.5 million. The necessary
build-out of office spaces and secured areas for supplies and equipment
will cost approximately $500,000. This will bring the total investment
in the building, to more than $6 million. This long-term investment
will allow the City control of the site and any improvements will be the
property of the City.

Because the City did not own the Moss Street facility, it is not
eligible for FEMA assistance for the purchase of the replacement
facility or the associated build-out. The City is working with the
State and FEMA to obtain a Project Worksheet in order to receive
reimbursement for approximately $171,000 in moving expenses.
FEMA has written PWs related to replacing inventory lost as a result of
the storm.

The Special Operations Division Complex is the third major public safety
facility to open this year. Mayor Nagin held a grand opening for the New
Orleans Police Department's Headquarters in January and a ribbon cutting
at the Municipal and Traffic Courts building in May. Both came after two
years of hard, strategic work by Mayor Nagin and the City
Administration. Immediately following Hurricane Katrina and the failure
of the federal levees, Mayor Nagin prioritized the recovery of public
safety facilities. Working with the City Council, the City has utilized
approximately $45 million from its Capital Budget, some of which was
borrowed from other City departments, to rebuild critical public safety
facilities.

Now, with access to more than $1 billion for recovery projects, the City
of New Orleans is undertaking several other public safety projects,
including new construction of two fire stations, a crime lab and
property and evidence facilities, the Youth Study Center and the
Coroner's Office. Other projects include renovations, additional new
building purchases and smaller repair projects. A complete list of
current projects is available at www.cityofno.com/recovery
>
or in the Recovery in Progress booklet.

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