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New Orleans police accused of car theft
AP ^ | 10/9/5 | Mary Foster

Posted on 10/09/2005 7:19:49 AM PDT by Crackingham

State authorities are investigating allegations New Orleans police officers broke into a dealership and made off with nearly 200 cars -- including 41 new Cadillacs -- as Hurricane Katrina closed in.

''It is a very, very active investigation,'' Kris Wartelle, spokeswoman for the Louisiana attorney general, said Friday. ``We expect developments quickly.''

Wartelle would not comment on why the officers may have taken the cars or whether they were used in the line of duty.

However, the cars may have been taken before the hurricane even roared into town Aug. 29, according to the president and general manager of the dealership, Doug Stead.

Stead said the cars included 88 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets, 40 used cars, 52 customers' cars and a restored 1970 El Camino and 1966 Impala.

''We put the loss on new cars at $3.7 million,'' Stead said. ``The used cars ran another $900,000.''

When reports first surfaced last month that officers may have taken the cars, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said it was not considered looting because the officers patrolled in the cars.

''There were some officers who did use Cadillacs,'' Riley said. ``Those cars were not stolen.''

On Friday, police spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo said the department's only comment was that it was cooperating with the attorney general's investigation.

Police are also investigating 12 officers for allegedly looting or failing to stop looting. And about 250 police officers -- roughly 15 percent of the force -- could face discipline for leaving their posts without permission during Katrina and its aftermath.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: corruption; hurricane; katrina; nopd
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1 posted on 10/09/2005 7:19:50 AM PDT by Crackingham
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To: Crackingham
Lol. This gets better and better.
The Big Easy should be re-named the Big Toilet.
2 posted on 10/09/2005 7:23:09 AM PDT by starfish923 (It's never right to do wrong. Socrates)
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To: Crackingham

This could get interesting - some will remember the thread about this a couple of weeks back - the owner of the cadillac dealership made it adamantly clear that he didn't request an investigation, nor did he file a complaint. He said something to the effect of "I have to live here".

This COULD be a step to uncovering the mass corruption of one of the most (if not THE most) corrupt police forces and city governments in the US.


3 posted on 10/09/2005 7:24:08 AM PDT by TheBattman (Islam (and liberalism)- the cult of Satan)
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To: TheBattman

Wait a minute. That was a 66 Impala f'goodness sake !


4 posted on 10/09/2005 7:27:34 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Troubled by NOLA looting ? You ain't seen nothing yet.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
That was a 66 Impala f'goodness sake !

Have to agree here. ;)

5 posted on 10/09/2005 7:29:57 AM PDT by SouthTexas (Just say NO to New Orleans.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

I like Impalas. The first car I ever wrecked was a '68 Impala(in '74).


6 posted on 10/09/2005 7:32:34 AM PDT by NEPA (Fry Mumia)
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To: Crackingham

Why Cadillacs? And especially a restored El Camino and an Impala? If the police legitimately needed to requisition vehicles during a disaster, I could understand taking SUVs and pickup trucks. You can haul more people and equipment and get through rougher terrain. But the fact that they took luxury cars instead of working vehicles points to pure theft instead of police need in an emergency.


7 posted on 10/09/2005 7:32:41 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (We were promised someone in the Scalia/Thomas mold. Maybe next time.)
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To: Crackingham
State authorities are investigating allegations New Orleans police officers broke into a dealership and made off with nearly 200 cars -- including 41 new Cadillacs
"You can trust your car, to the man who wears a star ..."
8 posted on 10/09/2005 7:33:53 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: Crackingham

All that's missing is a picture of looter man helping a NO cop steal a caddilac.


9 posted on 10/09/2005 7:34:54 AM PDT by demkicker (Life has many choices. Eternity has only two. Which one have you chosen?)
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To: Crackingham
"...New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said it was not considered looting because the officers patrolled in the cars."

Why didn't they patrol in school busses?

10 posted on 10/09/2005 7:38:14 AM PDT by OldEagle (May you live long enough to hear the legends of your own adventures.)
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To: TheBattman

That, if true, is reeeeeellleeyy bad.


11 posted on 10/09/2005 7:39:07 AM PDT by gortklattu (Dinos are better than Rinos)
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To: Crackingham
When reports first surfaced last month that officers may have taken the cars, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said it was not considered looting because the officers patrolled in the cars.

''There were some officers who did use Cadillacs,'' Riley said. ``Those cars were not stolen.''


Yeah, right ... patrolling. Patrolling in Houston, Baton Rouge, etc.

Omitted from the above link:

Stead said he got calls from people telling him they had seen his cars in Baton Rouge, Houston and other cities with uniformed police officers driving them.

http://insidebayarea.com/news/ci_3098900
12 posted on 10/09/2005 7:40:39 AM PDT by maggief
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To: Crackingham
Yeah, and supposedly no one was around to drive the busses.

I guess Nagin just meant the police and other city workers were, euphemistically, "otherwise engaged."

HF

13 posted on 10/09/2005 7:45:04 AM PDT by holden (holden on'a'na truth, de whole truth, 'n nuttin' but de truth)
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To: Crackingham

When we rebuild New Orleans why dont we put a big fence around it and keep the inmates inside.

Like Snake Pliskin in Escape from New York. Its pretty much that way now. The guy with the lamp looking for an honest man would have a rough time in New Orleans.


14 posted on 10/09/2005 8:22:22 AM PDT by sgtbono2002
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To: NEPA

Had a 60' Impala ragtop with a stock 283. It was before stereo radio so I put in a reverb to get the "stereo" sound . Roomy back seat .


15 posted on 10/09/2005 8:27:11 AM PDT by Renegade
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To: All

They did NOT patrol in those cars--they fled to Baton Rouge in them. The new acting superintendent of police is already defending them. Same **** different day.


16 posted on 10/09/2005 8:44:49 AM PDT by mom4kittys
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To: mom4kittys

Bush's fault....


17 posted on 10/09/2005 8:53:30 AM PDT by Crim (I may be a Mr "know it all"....but I'm also a Mr "forgot most of it"...)
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To: Crackingham

They needed transportation to take their vacations in Las Vegas.


18 posted on 10/09/2005 8:54:57 AM PDT by kabar
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To: starfish923


http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=3954882

October 8, 2005
Mermentau Police Chief Arrested

Chief Jeremy LeBlanc

After Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, looting became a huge problem.

We've now gotten word that officers in uniform were also helping themselves to the goods.

The Louisiana Attorney General's Office has confirmed that the chief of police in Mermentau is among those who are facing charges for looting.

Jeremy Joseph LeBlanc was in New Orleans in the wake of Katina and has now been arrested.

The attorney general's office is working the case.

We'll bring you more details as soon as they become available.


19 posted on 10/09/2005 8:59:02 AM PDT by Ellesu (www.thedeadpelican.com)
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To: TheBattman

I look forward to the MSM covering this in detail. NOT.


20 posted on 10/09/2005 9:33:47 AM PDT by kjo
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