New Orleans Asks U.S. to Help Police Department

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

NEW ORLEANS — Citing the need for “transformational change,” the city’s new mayor, Mitch Landrieu, announced on Wednesday that he was inviting the Justice Department to help restructure the troubled New Orleans Police Department.

“We have a systemic failure,” said Mr. Landrieu, who has been in office for less than three days. Speaking at a news conference, he said that the state and city governments would be involved in a sweeping reform of the police, but that “this was not going to get done without the help and the intervention and partnership of the Department of Justice.”

For a city to invite federal intervention in its police department is rare, and a testament to just how discontented New Orleanians have become with a police force that has been seen for years as corrupt, abusive and ineffective. Nearly four dozen community activists, some of whom stood next to the mayor at Wednesday’s news conference, sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Tuesday, urging federal oversight.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06orleans.html

[DURHAM D]

1. I bet Mayor Landrieu has hired private personal security. nt

[HALO141]

2. Way overdue. n/t

[Dr.Phool]

3. Another big contract for Blackwater. Or Xe, whatever they are now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. He should hire that guy ...was it a General? who took over during Katrina.

Help me out, somebody, I cannot for the life of me remember his name.
French sounding name?

[NOLALady]

5. Honore

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Yes! What happened to him, I wonder?

[Jumping John]

8. Yea Honore - he was in charge during the Danziger Bridge murders by

the NOPD. Read about the criminal behaviour of these scum here:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/new_orleans_cop_explains_how_police_gunned_down_ci.php

I hope you are being sarcastic.

[DURHAM D]

9. I hope you are aware that Honore was in charge of the military operation .

The General is not responsible for what happened on the bridge.

[NOLALady]

6. About Time!

All I can do is hope there will be real change and not window dressing.

NOPD has been corrupt as long as I can remember. They were worst before the Civil Rights movement.