Drugs Seized by Police Eaten by Rats... Bizarre Incident at US Police Station

Due to Aging Buildings, Rodents and Insects Invade
"Everyone Is Intoxicated... You Should Come and See"

An absurd incident occurred at a police station in the United States where rats got high on drugs. The rats broke into the storage room and inhaled drugs confiscated from drug offenders.

Photo for article understanding only, unrelated to article content [Photo source=Pixabay]

Local media including NBC News reported on the 14th (local time) that the incident took place at the New Orleans Police Department headquarters in Louisiana. Anne Kirkpatrick, Chief of the New Orleans Police Department, lamented at the Criminal Justice Committee meeting held on the 11th, "I wish you could see rats and cockroaches eating our (confiscated evidence) marijuana. They are all high on drugs."

The cause of this incident lies in the poor indoor environment of the police headquarters. The aging evidence storage room has already become an ideal environment for rats and insects to invade. Chief Kirkpatrick also stated that other facilities are in a serious condition. She said, "The air conditioning and elevators have been left broken," and "There are not even enough restrooms for the staff to use."

Oliver Thomas, chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee, pointed out, "We all know that the facilities are insufficient," adding, "Last year, the building had to be closed due to a heatwave, and in winter, it was so cold that it was impossible to sit inside the building."

The New Orleans Police Department headquarters has been in such conditions since about 16 years ago, in 2008. Not only rats and cockroaches but also snakes, pests, and mold have been found throughout the building. Chief Kirkpatrick claimed, "The level of filth is beyond serious," and insisted, "Those caretakers who try to clean it up deserve an award."

Some have even proposed a temporary measure to relocate the police headquarters to a private building. It is said that leasing a newly built commercial building long-term is much cheaper than repairing the already dilapidated police headquarters. The average office rent in New Orleans is $670,000 per month (about 900 million KRW), whereas the repair cost for the police building is estimated at $30 million (about 4 billion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.