NEW ORLEANS — A new report by the New Orleans Inspector General blasts the city’s Department of Safety and Permits, saying it hasn’t done enough to fix problems the IG has repeatedly highlighted, which have made the key safety agency a hotbed of corruption.

The report released Tuesday confirms what WWL Louisiana has been reporting in its “Hidden Dangers” investigative series since 2019: weak oversight, inconsistent enforcement and a lack of internal controls persist, and those can lead to catastrophic results.

“Buildings could collapse and people could die,” Inspector General Ed Michel said.

Indeed, the Hard Rock Hotel collapsed in 2019 shortly after concrete was poured on the top floors of the high-rise, killing three construction workers, and a WWL Louisiana investigation found city i

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