Posted on 09/28/2005 7:46:06 AM PDT by smartin
Police Superintendent Eddie Compass resigned Tuesday after four turbulent weeks in which the police force was hit by desertions and disorganization in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.
"I served this department for 26 years and have taken it through some of the toughest times of its history. Every man in a leadership position must know when it's time to hand over the reins," Compass said at a news conference. "I'll be going on in another direction that God has for me."
As the city slipped into anarchy during the first few days after Katrina, the 1,700-member police department itself suffered a crisis. Many officers deserted their posts, and some were accused of joining in the looting that broke out. Two officers Compass described as friends committed suicide.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Maybe but it would have better if he'd had LEADERSHIP capabilities, COMPETENCY, and INTEGRITY.
It seemed like he had those by standing up through this whole debacle and the false rumors about his daughter.
> ... the 1,700-member police department ...
Other threads are suggesting that the real reason for the
resignation is that 1700 number. It may include fictional
officers (including Reserve and retired), to reach a
headcount needed to get a desired federal funding level.
Now, there's a reason.
Where is the article on the phantom cops? What about the false crime data reports? I guess the alleged fraud is still being researched or something.
Tony Snow is trying to nail down a story that has 700 of the 1500 police on record in NO as being non exsistant. They are phantom cops.
The employment level number needed for federal funds is 1500 so NO inflated the number.
the Dead Pelican (LA Drudge look alike)also has a report.
http://www.thedeadpelican.com/
A corrupt and brocken Compass will always steer a ship wrong.
I think he was a lying, hysterical piece of worthless space. His leadership ability is reflected in the performance of his currently under investigation police force. Yes, a majority of New Orleans policemen performed heroically, but it wasn't much of a majority. And now it turns out much of his police force never really even existed. The fact that in the midst of this crisis, he has decided to jump ship is just one more indicator of his pathetic leadership ability. That isn't guts. It's cowardice. He is a disgrace and will no doubt be going to jail once the puzzle that represents New Orleans is slowly put together.
Say what you will, this guy stood up for that city with fellow officers whether there were 1700 or 17 officers.
"Don't ax me why I quit - I just quit."
And he steered that ship right onto the rocks. This guy couldn't lead a platoon of thirsty Marines to a pile of free cold beer.
I am sure that "Fast Eddie" Compass will be on the Oprah show soon putting all of the blame on Bush.
HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Front page
Sept. 6, 2005, 7:33PM
Carlos Antonio Rios/Chronicle
Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey visits evacuees at the Astrodome.
Visiting survivors, Oprah seeks stories that haven't been told
By MIKE MCDANIEL
Seeking "the stories that haven't been told," talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey toured New Orleans and visited with Hurricane Katrina survivors for a show that originated Tuesday from the Reliant Astrodome.
"Nothing I saw on television prepared me for what I experienced on the ground," said Winfrey, who heard about children being raped while inside the fetid Superdome and reports of "thousands" being dead in New Orleans alone.
Eddie Compass, New Orleans police chief, put the death toll in the thousands, most still trapped inside of houses.
He also told Winfrey about "little babies getting raped" while at the Superdome.
"It was anarchy inside that building," said Winfrey, who described a scene in which "gangs banded together and had more ammunition, at times, than the police."
The chief described a scene inside that placed him and his team in jeopardy.
"A couple of the gangsters recognized me and said, get (him)," Compass recalled. He and his security team high-tailed it out.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin told Winfrey that politics played a role in the delayed government response.
"If this had happened in Miami, L.A. or Chicago, we'd have had everything we needed," he said.
Half of the show was devoted to the evacuees in the Astrodome and their needs.
"My family doesn't even know if I'm alive," said one, who then called out: "Tracy, my beloved daughter, I'm alive. I'm alive, Tracy. I'm alive."
Winfrey and members of her Angel Network — Dr. Mehmet Oz, National Geographic Channel's Lisa Ling, actors Jamie Foxx and Matthew McConaughey, singer Faith Hill and designer Nate Berkus — filed reports all weekend from Houston, Dallas and New Orleans and its outskirts.
Houston's nationally recognized VT2 production facility compiled all the segments, interweaving them with shots from the Astrodome, where Winfrey anchored on Tuesday.
The Oprah Winfrey Show was shot live to tape at 7 a.m., and Winfrey then immediately left for Mississippi to tape Katrina segments that will air on Wednesday's show.
"It was a pressure-packed weekend," said Vic Tamborella, CEO of VT2 Studios. He first got wind of what Winfrey wanted late Friday.
"Usually we have weeks to plan for the kind of stuff we do." (CBS employed VT2 Studios for its Super Bowl XXXVIII coverage from Reliant Stadium.)
Calling in a team of freelancers and working round-the-clock, the show came off without a hitch.
"Oprah was very nice and very tired," he said. "You could see that."
Winfrey's Angel Network gave $1 million to America's Second Harvest, a food bank network, and shipped 500,000 bottles of water to the area via Federal Express.
Wednesday's show is scheduled to include many segments from storm-ravaged Mississippi. In addition to Winfrey's on-the-scene account, Angel Network volunteers Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, John Travolta, Gayle King and Lisa Marie Presley are also scheduled to appear.
mike.mcdaniel@chron.com
This article is: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3342214
Direction, as in South to a tropical climate with the booty from the 700 phantom cops. Setting up camp for when Ray can bust a move and join you.
This man didn't come out and say anything until the city was under control. Everyone knows that N.O. was one if not the most corrupt cities in the U.S., but this man hung in there and didn't leave until now and is probably being forced to.
My guess is that his "guts" are DIRTY! I'm guessing that he presided over massive payroll padding and corruption! I'm guessing this because MOST of the Louisiana govt. is CORRUPT to the core.
This is the man that didn't have time to change his underwear. I don't think he has some big stash to go to.
There may be wrong in his past, but he stood firm.
HUH? Maybe if he'd followed the 6 P's, he'd be a HERO and not a BUM.
Proper
Planning
Prevents
P*ss
Poor
Performance
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