| By DREW BROACH | Deputy metro editor |
DRASTIC MEASURES: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell took drastic steps Thursday to shore up the troubled Police Department and fight crime, announcing a $30,000 signing bonus for new officers, introducing a private consultant tasked with turning around the force, reassigning officers from some specialized units to patrol and replacing Public Integrity Bureau chief Arlinda Westbrook. BEST-LAID PLANS: It’s been three years since Baton Rouge developer Mike Wampold and his partner acquired the 111-year-old Whitney National Bank building in New Orleans’ Central Business District, with plans to renovate the historic structure into a mixed-use development anchored by a high-end, boutique hotel. Here’s why it hasn’t happened. (Want more stories like this. Subscribe to our free NOLA Business Insider newsletter, emailed weekday mornings.) TEEN SUSPECT SHOT: Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies were investigating a Terrytown carjacking Thursday night when they shot a 16-year-old suspect who fired on them in Algiers, authorities said. Thanks for starting your Friday with Morning Headlines. D.B. | 