Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal plans a final extension of the National Guard's presence in post-Katrina New Orleans, a spokeswoman said, a move requested by the city as the police force tries to rebuild amid a wave of violent crime that threatens the city's recovery.

Alex Brandon / Associated Press

Bobby Jindal.

The Guard, which has had a continuous presence here since five teenagers were killed in June 2006, will stay on through June, the end of the current state fiscal year, Jindal press secretary Melissa Sellers said.

The city sought "one final extension" to allow for a new recruiting class to hit the streets and for the development of what the City Council called "an effective strategy to mitigate the scourge of violent crime," Sellers said.

Jindal takes office Monday. His predecessor, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, repeatedly extended the Guard's stay with the city making essentially the same argument.

Police Superintendent Warren Riley had wanted the soldiers and airmen to stay through August since summer is generally seen as a busy period for police. But Riley said Wednesday that the extension planned by Jindal should give his department time to graduate two more recruiting classes and to get 100 more officers -- and a "sufficient force" -- on the streets.

Changes over the last year, including an improved relationship with the district attorney's office and a prosecution unit dedicated to violent crimes, have helped stop the "revolving door" that sent criminals arrested by police back onto the streets, Riley said.

"The New Orleans police officers out there on the street, on the front line, no longer believe we're by ourselves. We believe that we have the support of the district attorney's office," Riley said.

Keva Landrum-Johnson stepped in as DA late last year when Eddie Jordan resigned amid criticism over his office's handling of cases and an employment discrimination verdict that at one point threatened to bankrupt the office.

Officers, Riley said, "no longer believe we're arresting violent offenders for nothing, and so that's the big, big deal for us under Ms. Landrum."

Police last year recorded 209 murders, 48 more than in 2006, as the population continued to grow following the August 2005 hurricane.

Mayor Ray Nagin has made public safety a priority, and the city added about $15.1 million to the police department's 2008 budget for recruiting, equipment and other needs.

The department has marginally more police now than last year -- 1,429 -- as it has tried to offset attrition and bolster its ranks with more aggressive recruiting and pay raises. Riley, however, said the pay raise has slowed the rate of attrition to near pre-Katrina levels and that the department is now beginning to add numbers.

The department's goal is to have 1,700 officers -- a level "we believe we would need to get the job done or actually, safely, take care of the city," said Sgt. Joe Narcisse, a police spokesman.

Narcisse said the Guard, whose numbers have brought the department to that target level, have been "essential" in patrolling less-populated sections of the city to allow police to handle more calls in more populated areas.

There are currently 360 soldiers and airmen in the city, said Maj. Michael Kazmierzak, a Guard spokesman. State police troopers, which, like the Guard, had been supplementing the police force, have been phased out.

Humvees are a common, and for some residents, reassuring sight, in areas like the Lower 9th Ward. The Guard can make stops and deals with crimes ranging from homicides to robberies and assaults, in addition to neighborhood patrols, Kazmierzak said.

The state has so far spent $46 million to have Guard members and state troopers in the city. The state police are now being used for large special events, such as Mardi Gras, an agency spokesman said.

Lawmakers will need to approve more money to cover the extended presence Jindal plans to grant.

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