Posted on 09/27/2005 1:51:50 PM PDT by Shermy
The New Orleans Police Department has identified 249 officers who left their posts without permission during Hurricane Katrina and the storm's chaotic aftermath, and is now trying to distinguish out-and-out deserters from those who had compelling reasons to be AWOL.
The announcement puts a number to a phenomenon that was of uncertain magnitude when first revealed by angry police brass as looters swept through New Orleans in Katrina's wake.
Police Superintendent Eddie Compass said he will assemble a tribunal of his four assistant chiefs to hear the circumstances of each officer unaccounted for during the first weeks after the storm and now seeking to return.
The 249 officers will be judged on a case-by-case basis. "We have a penalty schedule for each violation, and when that process takes place, individuals will have the right to appeal the decisions made by the bureau chiefs," Compass said, adding that "the final decision and recommendation will be by me as superintendent of police."
Mayor Ray Nagin said the city attorney's office will review Compass' plan to ensure that it falls within Civil Service regulations that cover all classified city employees.
< snip>
Lt. David Benelli, president of the Police Association of New Orleans, said true deserters should be fired.
"For those who left because of cowardice, they don't need to be here," Benelli said.
"We know there were people who flat-out deserted," he said. "But we also know there were officers who had to make critical decisions about what to do with their families. We are confident that Superintendent Compass is going to give everyone due process and look at the circumstances of each case individually. They shouldn't just throw a blanket over everyone."
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
"How many of those 249 officers never existed?"
"Who was cashing the phony officers checks?"
and
"How much did the local politicians make from this scam?"
LOL...don't think so!
So far the only "evidence" of ghost officers comes from a poster report of the "Tony Snow Show."
Could be b.s. from Snow. But ghost officers in New Orleans makes sense in so many ways...
Of course, these invisible, nonexistent, disappearing, unavailable, cowardly policemen were on the PAYROLL....
So just hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....ya have to wonder who cashed the salary checks made out to these nonexistent policemen.
Sounds as if someone is manipulating the press. Geeeeeee....what party is particularly good at that?
Tony Snow reported today that a LOT of cops who were on the payroll don't even exist. Someone was padding the payroll!
Tony Snow reported that the FBI is looking into this matter and they have found only 80 cops out of 500 who actually existed, so I don't think it's BS from Snow.
I would say each one needs to submit a report on why they should not be fired...
no mention about those that didn't desert, but were caught looting....
Are these 2 in jail yet?
I'd like to think that Snow is pretty careful about these things.
Superintendent Eddie Compass stated on Oprah's show that babies were raped, etc. in the aftermath of Katrina and this now appears not to have been true.
Compass also stuck at his post and rallied his men, at great personal cost while worrying about his wife and family and his grown daughter stranded in different parts of New Orleans.
I am curious whether this resignation is the result of burn out after a harrowing time and little sleep (Dr. Phil McGraw did a special show in New Orleans -- Rescuing the Rescuers--that gives this theory credence) or whether there is serious disagreement between Compass and Nagin about the pace of repopulating the city in light of food, water, electricity, communications shortages and the ability of the police department to provide security under such circumstances.
Some also hint about corruption that may be uncovered, but is Compass leaving because he doesn't want to stooge for politicians in New Orleans anymore or because he was once part of the corruption and has had a life changing experience and wants to get free of all that?
If anyone sees any reliable information touching on these issues, I would appreciate being pinged.
I agree; I don't think that Tony Snow would report what he did without being quite sure of his sources.
Do you have a link to prove that? I heard a medical doctor in N.O. for a conference who volunteered at the stadium during that time. He said it was true, there were rapes.
Rumor was the Russian were moving to help the arabs and all nuclear forces were ordered to the field. NOT ONE man failed to show up for duty, even though we were leaving our families behind. Most of us had less than 3 years time in service not 10 -20 yet we did our job.
Any cop who left should be fired.
Thanks for the link. I'll throw that one in the faces of some people now.
So you think the good doctor caught the "media attention" syndrome like SIN-dy? /rhetorical question only
You, my friend, understand Louisiana politics very well.
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