New Orleans – The Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announces that, effective Monday, December 24, 2012, members of the Crescent City Connection Police Department (CCCPD) will transfer over to Louisiana State Police as part of the restructuring of the Crescent City Connection Division (CCCD) services.
“The CCCPD will be transitioning, administratively, under the Department of Public Safety as of next week,” said DOTD Assistant Secretary Rhett Desselle. “Motorists can still expect to see a law enforcement entity patrolling the bridge, expressway and surrounding area.”
CCCPD officers will still don their current uniforms and marked vehicles until midnight, December 31. At that time, all on-duty officers will receive new DPS uniforms and vehicles.
Also changing is the process of reporting roadway emergencies. The general public will now need to dial *LSP (*577) to request police assistance. Dialing *LSP from any cell phone connects the caller directly to the Troop B dispatcher, who will then dispatch the call to an officer in the area. For all other emergencies, the public should dial 911.
"This is simply another step in a transition process which began months ago. We have already begun to welcome these officers into the Department of Public Safety family by providing them the same in-service training provided to our Troopers and DPS Police Officers," said Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. "Our goal is to have a seamless transition that provides the citizens of the New Orleans metropolitan area the service and security that they have come to expect from the Louisiana State Police."
The Crescent City Connection Bridge (CCC) is the fifth busiest bridge in the nation and more than 33 million vehicles traverse the structure annually. With the move, DPS will be responsible for patrolling the immediate bridge area only, leaving the surrounding area near the structure to local jurisdictions. Previously, the CCCPD bore the responsibility of patrolling the bridge, in addition to the 14-mile area around the bridge, including all surface streets providing access to the bridge, toll operations and CCCD ferry landings and terminals.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.
For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
-30-
www.dotd.la.gov