Posted on 09/01/2005 7:16:17 AM PDT by TheForceOfOne
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission last night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.
"They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas — hotels, hospitals — and we're going to stop it right now," Nagin said.
The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.
The out-of-control thievery had escalated while cops joined National Guardsmen in focusing on saving lives.
In some cases, New Orleans police officers took part in the looting. One cop was seen carting off a computer and a 27-inch flat-screen TV, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Earlier yesterday, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blan- co said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.
The looting got worse as people brazenly ran- sacked stores for food, beer, clothing, appliances — and guns.
There have been some citizen-vs.-criminal standoffs, with one shopkeeper posting an ominous sign: "You loot, I shoot."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
"Maybe Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton can appeal to the people to stop looting . . ."
They can't. They're both out of breath from carrying that big plasma TV.
I heard that a hospital was barricading itself for fear of gangs coming in to steal drugs. Looters who ran out of stores were kicking in people's homes to steal their things!! There is no time to coddle the crooks; people like that should just be shot. Then they can get on with rescuing survivors.
FOX NEWS just broke another story: There have been people volunteering their own boats and time to try to rescue people. They were going to set out at 6 am today for another day of rescuing. The first couple of boats were shot at so the rest of them have been told to stand down. WOW!
This looting never should have been allowed to get out of hand in the first place. I fault the mayor, for failing to give the right order now and, evidently, for allowing all sorts of corruption to spread in his own police department.
There was no excuse to stand by and let looters make off with TVs and other gear. Food and water, maybe, but even that should have probably been controlled and rationed, not left for the biggest and strongest to hog for themselves.
It's one of the first lessons of politics 101 that once you let looters and mobs loose, they become difficult or impossible to control without shooting people, and often unfortunately it's not the worst perps who get shot. Better to shoot a few people early than to wait around and have to shoot a lot of people.
I saw that piece too. Disgusting!!! Democrats of New Orleans at work. Both police officers should have been jailed, and the keys thrown away immediately. But, don't fret America, this kind of action will be coming to your towns and cities shortly, if the Cindy Sheehans and the Democrat "Traitor/Treason" Party get into power and pull our troops out of Afgahnistan and Iraq. The terrorists will have a field day destroying America, you and your children!!! Your future is in your hands. Destroy the enemies among us at the ballot box, or reap what you yourself have sown!!!
i remember rioting in Brooklyn in 1977, during a power outage. Without my guns, I would've been quite dead..
In times of strife, guns save your life.
This kind of comments makes me furious. When Hugo left his mark on SC I was living practically in the woods, with a 3 week old baby. I remember ripping off sheets, pillowcases, towels... anything that could be used as a diaper! Meanwhile, my hubbie was out with a chainsaw, trying to cut a path in the road. When we finally made it to town, just to find out that everything was boarded up or torn, no power, no water, it did not cross our minds to break into the local WalMart or grocery store and help ourselves to the things we needed so badly. Civilized people don't do that, regardless of the situation. What we are seeing in NO is people born and bred in the welfare system. They have never worked for, or paid for, anything in their lives so how can we expect them to begin now?
If the looters are shooting then we shoot to kill. No different than everyday police work.
We may need to send in the marines with one objective, clear out the violent criminals fighting law enforcement and recovery efforts.
One platoon?
Looters should be shot. Period.
Sound reasoning.
ok, now you have to share your story.
First, I highly doubt anyone in New Orleans has been busy filling out paperwork lately.
Second, why did you write "looted"?
Based on your remarks, I am guessing you not only think it's not really stealing on the part of the criminals, but it is also okay because you think the stuff is already paid for. Who cares if we stick it to the big fat insurance companies, right?
Very DU of you.
IN the early 1930's mailmen were regularly robbed in rural TX, some are issued colt .38's. It stopped shortly after that.
Oh, they are shaking in their boots at this warning.
The only thing now that will resort any kind of order is a directive to shoot to kill those firing at workers - and doing it a few times and hanging the bodies from lamp posts as a warning. We've gone back 100 years in time in three days.
Note to self, get handgun and shotgun ASAP.
Never owned anything stronger than a BB gun before...
Praise the Lord and pass the ammo!
Speaking as an outside observer, to me he seems to come off like Winston Churchill next to that Governor.
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