Feds Announce Probe Of New Orleans Police Dept.

[babylonsister]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/feds_announce_probe_of_new_orleans_police_dept.php?ref=fpa

Feds Announce Probe Of New Orleans Police Dept.
Justin Elliott | May 17, 2010, 4:40PM


In a press conference in New Orleans today, Justice Department Civil Rights chief Thomas Perez announced the DOJ is launching a formal assessment of the city's troubled police department, the first step to installing federal oversight.

The Times-Picayune reports:

In a letter to {Mayor Mitch} Landrieu also released Monday, Perez indicated the probe will "examine allegations of excessive force, unconstitutional searches and seizures, racial profiling, failures to provide adequate police services to particular neighborhoods and related misconduct."

The move comes in the wake of new revelations about police shootings of unarmed civilians in the days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and other allegations of misconduct.

Perez had suggested in an interview with TPMmuckraker last month that federal oversight of the department might be necessary. The news of the review was first reported by Main Justice.

[ixion]

1. That ought to get the Bubbas panties in a wad

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

2. A long time in jail to reflect on their sins would be a great start. nt

[ixion]

3. indeed n/t

[4_TN_TITANS]

4. NOLA just lured away the police chief of Nashville

Bet he's wishing now that he hadn't taken the new job. After walking out on Nashville for more bucks in NOLA, the local Nashville stations are trashing his record and now he's going to have the Feds looking over his shoulder.

[happy_liberal]

5. First, give the people the help they need right now.

NOLA is still a mess, people are still homeless and the feds have helped very little.

Then, I think this is a great thing, but they also need to look into who it was that turned away so much help, water trucks, boats, help from other countries all turned away in those first days...for what reason? Who was responsible?

[happy_liberal]

6. Pattern emerges

Beyond Incompetence
Reading the news after the Katrina Hurricane
and the lack-of-response disaster,
a pattern began to emerge.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=8066

Airboaters stalled by FEMA
500 Florida airboat pilots have volunteered to rescue Hurricane Katrina victims, transport relief workers and ferry supplies. But they aren’t being allowed in. And they’re growing frustrated.

A "floatilla of aid" TURNED BACK from New Orleans
A group of approximately 1,000 citizens pulling 500 boats left the Acadiana Mall in Lafayette this morning (Weds.) and headed to New Orleans with a police escort from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The "flotillia" of trucks pulling boats stretched over five miles. This citizen rescue group was organized by La. State Senator, Gautreaux from Vermilion Parish. The group was comprised of experienced boaters, licensed fishermen and hunters, people who have spent their entire adult life and teenage years on the waterways of Louisiana.

Fearing riots, Guard rejects food airdrops
Authorities are avoiding airdropping provisions into New Orleans - the traditional way of supplying disaster victims - out of fear of sparking riots, a state official said.

Homeland Security won’t let Red Cross deliver food
"The Homeland Security Department has requested and continues to request that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans," said Renita Hosler, spokeswoman for the Red Cross.

US won’t let Canada help Katrina victims
Planes are ready to load with food and medical supplies and a system called "DART" which can provide fresh water and medical supplies is standing by. Department of Homeland Security as well as other U.S. agencies were contacted by the Canadian government requesting permission to provide help. Despite this contact, Canada has not been allowed to fly supplies and personnel to the areas hit by Katrina.

On BBC: Northern Command was in position, waiting for Presidential orders
We had the USS Baton sailing almost behind the hurricane so that after the hurricane made landfall it’s search and rescue helicopters would be available almost immediately. So we had things ready. The only caveat is, we have to wait until the President authorizes us to do so. The laws of the United States say that the military can’t just act in this fashion, we have to wait for the President to give us permission.

Confirmation of BBC report: Navy Ship still unused 6 Days after Katrina!
But today the Bataan’s hospital facilities, including six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty. A good share of its 1,200 sailors could also go ashore to help with the relief effort, but they haven’t been asked. The Bataan has been in the stricken region the longest of any military unit, but federal authorities have yet to fully utilize the ship.

Daley ’shocked’ as feds reject aid
A visibly angry Mayor Daley said the city had offered emergency, medical and technical help to the federal government as early as Sunday to assist people in the areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina, but as of Friday, the only things the feds said they wanted was a single tank truck.

Virgina Team turned away- others efforts wasted
Twenty-two Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies and six medical personnel who left Thursday for the New Orleans area returned home early yesterday because of poor communication between officials in Louisiana and Virginia that left the team without required approvals.

FEMA prevents water, fuel delivery- cuts communication lines!
On Meet the Press, the president of Jefferson Parish in New Orleans, Aaron Broussard, said that FEMA turned away aid and cut their communication lines!

Paperwork from DC late to arrive- prevents National Guard from helping
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state’s National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn’t come from Washington until late Thursday.

Guardsmen ’played cards’ amid New Orleans chaos: police official
A top New Orleans police officer said that National Guard troops sat around playing cards while people died in the stricken city after Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA Chief Brown caught in a LIE.
In a nationally televised interview Thursday night, he said his agency hadn’t known until that day that thousands of storm victims were stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He gave another nationally televised interview the next morning and said, "We’ve provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they’ve gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day." Lies don’t get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President.

Who’s Responsible?
Bush reorganized the government specifically to give the Feds more power in an emergency.

Bush’s Criminal Ignorance: "I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the breach of the levees."

[happy_liberal]

7. this deserves a kick

:kick:

Doesn't everyone remember the horrible crimes committed during Katrina? It was horrifying!

We have to make sure whoever is responsible be exposed and held accountable so this doesn't happen again!