Posted on 09/29/2005 2:45:17 AM PDT by abb
Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti's office confirmed Wednesday that it is investigating the alleged looting of a New Orleans car dealership by city police officers.
More than 200 vehicles were taken from the Sewell Cadillac Chevrolet dealership in the Central Business District, and in the most chaotic hours after Hurricane Katrina, some New Orleans Police Department officers reportedly pulled up outside the mobile command center at Harrah's casino in bright, shiny Cadillac SUVs.
The cars allegedly still had "2004" stickers in their windshields and "Sewell" medallions on the back. The fancy rides appeared at a time when a desperate force, having already lost scores of its marked units to floodwaters, was siphoning gas from abandoned vehicles scattered throughout the city, and officers claimed to be operating under emergency orders that allowed them to commandeer necessary supplies. Now, however, that tactic has drawn the attention of investigators.
"Yes, we are investigating although there have been no arrests so far," said Kris Wartelle, a spokeswoman for Foti. "The investigation involves the activities at Sewell of both the New Orleans Police Department and another sort of city official whom I can't identify right now."
NOPD spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo said the force "welcomes any review" of its actions. At no time did any officer remove a car from the Sewell lot or showroom, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Oh, that's OK, I'm sure the taxpayers of Louisiana will be more than happy to pay for those confiscated vehicles. After all, everyone knows you need Cadillac SUVs in order to do your job.
So, tell me again why we want to spend $250,000,000,000 in tax monies (on our crdit card) to rebuild this place?
Yeah, there was a story on CNN yesterday about some cops holed up in the tenth floor of a hotel and the hotel manager said that they spent a few days there, drinking and partying, leaving the hotel around 10:30 pm, and getting back at 4:30 am, loaded up with stuff--electronics, luxury items etc.
Someone else who had seen the cops doing this refused to make a report and I got the feeling that this manager was pretty brave to come forward with the story.
No, they are NOT and as a matter of fact, not all the police in NO are dirty. Some of them practically killed themselves trying to help.
I don't know about anybody else here, but the police in general are some of the biggest heros this country has. Every day they put their lives on the line to keep us safe and I resent your comment.
True story. I lived there in 1978, and the police went on strike the week before Mardi Gras. The crime rate DID go down.
Probably a mixed bag. Some were driven to safety in Baton Rouge, Dallas, and other points remote.
Is there any more on the ghost cops story today (that maybe 700 of 1,700 N.O. police on the rolls did not even exist)?
Louisiana is so corrupt that the Feds ought to take over New Orleans (preferably the whole state) as some sort of federal protectorate. To put the same people back in power would be a crime, and a disservice to the taxpayers that are funding the reconstruction.
Not to worry. The US taxpayer will cover the cost of the Cadillacs and any future vehicles requested by the Louisiana demoncats.
You got to have that bling to fight crime.
What, no Corvettes available?
What do you want to bet that the number of "missing" vehicles is just about equal to the number of PHANTOM Police Officers??
That is why no one can identify who drove them away!
I have seen a few invisible drivers. Oh no, here in Florida that is the little old lady who can not even see over the dashboard! LOL
Okay, this begs to be said. When you hear that a HUGE flood is coming your way, be you a bus driver or police officer, would it not occur to you to move your vehicle to higher ground? This is too stupid for any more words.
I totally agree. I hope they arrest all involved. What was that mayor running down there? It is unreal how corrupt that place is. Unreal......
From what I read some cops protected their cars by driving them to Houston and leaving them on the street while they abandoned their jobs.
What happened to the story about "phantom" NOPD officers. Apparently it was reported by Tony Snow a couple of days ago, but I've seen nothing since.
I heard that Sewell Cadillac had many cars stolen after Katrina.
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