As Mayor-elect Helena Moreno attempts to make good on her recent promise to state leaders to keep a tighter watch on New Orleans’ finances, she’s already identified one area of concern: Overtime spending.

The understaffed New Orleans Police Department’s spending came under fresh scrutiny after Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack reported that no one had budgeted for police overtime in the city’s 2025 budget, which faces a deficit of $160 million.

But Waguespack has begun digging deeper into the issue in recent weeks at the City Council's request. The Office of the Inspector General separately confirmed to WVUE television that it was investigating the matter back in July, after the station reported that 23 officers had more than doubled their salaries by reporting long shi

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