Posted on 09/03/2005 9:26:08 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 3 - Reeling from the chaos of this overwhelmed city, at least 200 New Orleans police officers have walked away from their jobs and two have committed suicide, police officials said Saturday.
Some officers officially told their superiors they were leaving, police officials said. Others worked for a while and then stopped showing up. Still others, for reasons not always clear, never made it in after the storm.
The absences come during a period of extraordinary stress for the New Orleans Police Department. For nearly a week, many of its 1,500 members have had to work around the clock, trying to cope with flooding, an overwhelming crush of refugees, looters and occasional snipers.
P. Edwin Compass III, the superintendent of police, said most of his officers were staying at their posts. But in an unusual note of sympathy for a top police official, he said it was understandable that many were frustrated. He said morale was "not very good" after nearly a week of deprivation and danger.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I agree, I have hopes that there will be some changes for the positive.
You'll get used to it.
I'm a computer consultant and have had to type on just about everything during my client rounds.
My preferred keyboard is the original IBM ones from the first IBM PC's.
I'm down to my last one, should've bought a whole bunch when I had the chance. Big heavy ones that go clickety-click. I can't stand those new lightweight keyboards. If there's one thing IBM did well, it was keyboards. The Kurtzweil of computer keyboards.
Smartest thing I ever did was to take Ms. Moran's (she was hot too) typing class while still in high school, per my college brother's advice.
I've been a touch typist ever since. Can go pretty fast when I really want to. Currently in darkness with only the toob for light, on a pretty old PII IBM Thinkpad, my bedside laptop.
Best way to Freep. Pajamas Rule!
I did NOT know that, US Army. My gosh. What a story!
God bless them.
Thanks for the info.
Some cops nowadays, due mainly to racial complaints, no longer have gone through psych testing and training, but, we need "more ppl" on the force, and political correctness runs wild...
" "If I put you out on the street and made you get into gun battles all day with no place to urinate and no place to defecate,
I don't think you would be too happy either," Mr. Compass said in an interview.
"Our vehicles can't get any gas. The water in the street is contaminated.
My officers are walking around in wet shoes."
A full bladder and wet shoes .... Unbelievable.
Wouldn't you quit if Gavin was your boss?
Thanks for the post Redneck, had an idea that something like that has been going on.
I am trying to remember if I ever took a dump or a leak in Vietnam or Korea. I am sure I must have. I remember my boots were also wet and in some cases frozen, yep its all coming back to me now.
I cannot imagine that many of the poorer evacuees will not return
it depends what the government will do in rebuilding NO. Bigger, better homes will excite many from all parts of the country.
I've seen projects torn down in NO and turned into some real nice homes I would be proud to own or live in for less than 100.00 a month.
We will see in the months and years to come.
The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law.
... Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said.
Bush and the feds are not in control. The command structure is the same with the governor responsible for the NG, and the mayor responsible for New Orleans. Active duty troops are going in only to assist with relief operations. It is against federal law to use active military personnel for policing duties in domestic communities. President Bush has presented an offer to the governor to federalize the City of New Orleans if she so desires. She has yet to act on that offer.
How about those two big-butted female ones that were filmed looting?
You must be a smooth talker to get that out of an FBI agent. I believe it. My friend from New Orleans with ties to the NOPD told me that 500 NOPD officers quit within the first day after the storm hit.
Also one more image out of Waveland, MS (I lived in the area once). They showed some guy near the wreckage of his home. As soon as they put the camera on him, he reached in the back of his truck and pulled out what was left of an American flag, he held it up and spread it out, he then stuck out his chest, and then said "We will build this place back".
Not so in New Orleans.
They get little sympathy from folks that have served in the Military who spent 13 months in country, under threat of trained and efficient armed forces for every hour of every day.....for a hell of a lot less pay and no donuts..
I guess there will be a new clause in their next Union Contract -- that grants them looting rights and bug out rights when the going gets rough.
I think we're seeing the consequences of dumbed down, and loose minimum requirements to be a Police Officer in the "Big Easy"..... They turned their police force into a social welfare or graft program.
Semper Fi
I dig the laptop styles now. It's just so damn easy. I don't like the material the keys are made of, though--the plastic seems to wear too easily, and I can see worn spots from the oils on my fingers already. I've only had this laptop for 3 months.
Keep an eye out for the Optimus keyboard. That sucker's going to be amazing, and I hope we get a laptop version.
The rats were jumping ship before the hurricane passed - Even before the flood!
"They were doing everything to get out of New Orleans," he said. "They didn't have the resources to do the job, or a plan, so they left."
More than a few lost their homes and wives and children are missing.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.