New Orleans Begins Confiscating Firearms as Water Recedes

Ny Times ^ | September 8 | ALEX BERENSON and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

[RDTF]

Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here.

No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns, or other firearms, said P. Edwin Compass, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.

But that order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of security guards whom businesses and some wealthy individuals have hired to protect their property. The guards, who are civilians working for private security firms like Blackwater, are openly carrying M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.

Nearly two weeks after the floods began, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as National Guard troops and active-duty soldiers. While armed looters roamed unchecked last week, the city is now calm. No arrests were made on Wednesday night or this morning, and police received only 10 calls for service, a police spokesman said.

The city's slow recovery is continuing on other fronts as well, local officials said at a press conference late this morning. Pumping stations are now operating across much of the city, and many taps and fire hydrants have water pressure. Also, tests have shown no evidence of cholera or other dangerous diseases in flooded areas, though health officials have said the waters contain levels of E. coli bacteria and lead 10 times higher than what is considered safe.

Efforts to recover corpses have also started, although only a handful of bodies have been recovered so far.

[tarheelswamprat]

Easier than that, this area is obviously blighted.

Yes, both before AND after Katrina.

[longtermmemmory]

From this mornings FNC they ASKED if she was armed and she SHOWED them teh EMPTY revolver. The NO PD used that as a pretext to attack her.

This is the type of case i hope and pray comes to court.

Per the mornings FNC she was later released and she said she was going back home.

[Looking4Truth]

"Who cares what the law is, obviously if you're in NO and want to keep your weapons you must either hide them or use them. When the next large scale disaster strikes, the precedent is now set, the authorities, are going to grab all the guns they can then no matter how bumbling or incompetent you will be at their mercy. This is going just the way the government wants, not a government of the people but one separate and above the people."

Definitely worth repeating.

[ezo4]

":-(

I need to buy a gun."

you dont have a rifle or a side arm?

[Gimme]

This is the type of case i hope and pray comes to court.


Well they have it on tape!! I hope so too.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

I am calling out the F-troops as pansy @ssed sissys. If they are tough enough to incinerate women and children in an open field, what is holding them back from N'Awlins?
A little muddy water should never slow down a he-man from acquiring a good MOA on women and children. Understanding that the shimmer off of the water makes for a small challenge. But hey, center of mass on an infant or an elderly woman does not dodge around much.

[Tymesup]

"If they are confiscating weapons from peaceful, legal citizens in their own homes...this is wrong and must not be tolerated. "

After the Kelo decision, it is not clear that citizens actually own their homes.

[herewego]

Found this - love it..

---

Any person, LEO or otherwise, attempting to forcibly remove someone from their home, or rob them of their possessions should be shot dead.

Harsh? Yeah, maybe, but it still must be done. If for no other reason than to very clearly make the point that anyone grossly overstepping the bounds of their authority will not be tolerated.

Attepmt to remove me from my home or rob me of my possessions under these same circumstances and I promise I will kill you. It makes no difference to me what clothes you are wearing at the time.

[Boiling point]

O.K., so they are being forced to leave and having their guns confiscated because there is no water, electricity or phones? If I stop paying my utilities will I loose my second amendment and personal property rights because I'm poor? Sounds like discrimination to me. By the way, if any government agency for any reason tries to confiscate my guns, I will have to ask them, How many of your men is it worth for you to have my guns? Do you love your job enough to die today to get them?

[Jeff Head]

Well...even without Kelo...if you have to pay someone a certain amount for your home/land every year, and if you don't pay they can take it away...then you really do not own the home/land/property.

That's exactly what happens with property taxes in most places in this country and it is a travesty IMHO.

Even if you have title...if you do not pay, they can take it. Those who are empowered to take it are the real owners and it is long since past time, IMHO, that the American people wake up to it and enact legislation to end it.

[RasterMaster]

NY Slimes is less credible than the National Enquirer.

[airborne]

All thanks to duly elected Democrats and their cronies!

[Cboldt]

O.K., so they are being forced to leave and having their guns confiscated because there is no water, electricity or phones?

If I understand the situation, the folks aren't delinquent on any bills, but happen to live in an area that borders a poison bog. Some of the homes have telephones, electricity and running water, so the presence of utilities isn't the test.

[planekT]

Well, it's understandable to evacuate your house if a big fire is heading your way. It sure wouldn't be understandable if they had confiscated your guns.

I've learned a couple of things watching this awful situation.

1. I will run, not walk, in the opposite direction of any government "safe" house in the event I would need to evacuate my home. I can't imagine being disarmed, locked up in a hellhole like the Super dome became, and then bused out to another state. I'll take a tent or a hammock, a little food and water, and a rifle and my chances with that any day of the week.

2. The government is full of crap. Just how dangerous is the water in NO? Oh, it's polluted all right, but I haven't seen any of the rescue workers in anything special to protect them. A few had rubber gloves on and I saw a couple folks with painters masks, but that's about it. Stay out of the water, and wash your hands and you'll probably be okay. Sure, there's crap in it, some dead bodies, probably some chemicals, oil, etc. But it's a lot of water. All of that stuff has got to be diluted to a large extent. Look at all the people who walked through it trying to get out, and so far I've only seen about 4 or 5 deaths attributed to it.

3. You can't own too many guns or too much ammo (yea, I knew that already, but I'll throw it in just for prosperity).

[Vor Lady]

Have you seen this? I didn't have a ping from you so I am not sure if you've seen it.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"what is holding them back from N'Awlins?"

They probably haven't found their sound recordings of rabbits being slaughtered yet. They need those to calm the situation down.

[paul51]

good news for armed looters.

[shezza]

Major Ping

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"Oh, it's polluted all right, but I haven't seen any of the rescue workers in anything special to protect them."

Exactly, I have seen LEOs and NG in cammies and short sleeves. I have not seen one in MOPP gear.

[spanalot]

Has this ever happened in the USA before?

If not this is an incredibly dangerous precedent.