Two Police Officers Return to Superdome

[Judi Lynn]

Two Police Officers Return to Superdome
Two Police Officers Return to the Superdome That Was Their Prison, Too
By TIM DAHLBERG Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS Sep 7, 2005 — The nights bothered Toni Blanco the most, though they also offered a bit of escape. In a police car, she and fellow detective Alecia Wright could shed their police reserve and share a good cry.

"Many times we laid in the car and tears just rolled," Blanco said. "We talked about how this ever came to be and what would become of everyone."

They had lived for days in the Superdome amid the same stench and misery shared by 25,000 others who sought refuge from Hurricane Katrina's battering winds and ensuing flooding. The only difference was they had a badge, some guns, and supposedly some authority.

Being a cop, though, didn't matter much in the arena. They couldn't arrest anyone because there was no place to put them. The few revolvers they had wouldn't be nearly enough to control the crowd if things got really out of hand.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1103588

[realFedUp]

1. The Superdome was a Super Disaster

As well as the convention center.
None of that should have happened. It should have
had generators providing air conditioning and lights,
porta potties at the least, food, water, cots, medical help
and police protection and a locked area for the armed thugs
and rapists.

I hope mayors in other cities are asking themselves
about their own sporting arenas/shelters and how to be
better prepared for a catastrophe waiting to happen.

[underpants]

2. The conflicting Superdome numbers

I was watching as Fox News first said (CNN did too) that there were 30,000 in the Superdome. Literally in the next ten minutes between the scroll, the anchors, and the reporters they had it down to 10,000. I was wondering why would Fox want the number lower....a day later I saw why.

25,000? amazing.

[Roland99]

3. This part saddens me even more:

It was too wrenching for some officers. They fled through the floodwaters, leaving those remaining stretched even thinner.

Sworn to serve and protect, eh?

[1932]

4. I don't want to judge those who left so quickly.

I'd like to hear their side of the story.

For those who put their own comfort ahead of the comfort of the citizens of N.O., I might not have much compassion.

But for those who were told that their job was to arrest people looting food, clothes, and medicine, I might be able to understand why they thought there were better things to do.