Hurricane victims tell US Congress of racial slurs

[Texsox]

Reuters Link

 

By Donna Smith

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Survivors from New Orleans told a congressional panel on Tuesday they felt abandoned by government at all levels after Hurricane Katrina hit the city and had been subjected to racial slurs and menaced by guns when they sought food and water.

 

"We were abandoned. City officials did nothing to protect us," Patricia Thompson, a New Orleans evacuee now living in Texas, told a House of Representatives panel investigating the response to the storm.

 

"We saw buses, helicopters and FEMA trucks but no one stopped to help us. We never felt so cut off in all our lives," Thompson said.

 

She described "demoralizing and inhumane" treatment by police telling the panel: "We were cursed when we asked for help for our elderly. We had guns aimed at us by the police who were suppose to be there to protect us."

 

Thompson said her 5-year-old granddaughter cried in terror when a policeman pointed a gun at her and she worried about whether she had put up her hands correctly.

 

One of the things that makes this country so great is our willingness, even our eagerness, to take mistakes, open them up for the world to see, and fix the problems. No sweeping under the rug, no eraser to the history books. We learn from our mistakes, take pride in our successes.

[kapkomet]

Once again, DRAMA!!!!!

 

I'm not saying that things were all peachy, but, let's throw these people in front of a camera so we can talk about how messed up the government is. Most headlines this morning talk about the FEMA response. When you read the quote, the LOCAL OFFICIALS kicked the pooch here. But let's focus on the federal response, shall we?

 

I'm probably wrong about this too.

[mr_genius]

"then they pointed gun at me, i be only stealin 2 plasma tv's"

 

ok, that was uncalled for.

[southsider2k5]

Wow the NOPD strikes again. I have seen articles about the problems and corruption that exsisted there even before Katrina. Then the Hurricane hits and 1/3rd of the officers quit or simply abandon their posts, and then out of who was left there was this. How sad for the people of NO, what a tragedy.

[Texsox]

Wow the NOPD strikes again.  I have seen articles about the problems and corruption that exsisted there even before Katrina.  Then the Hurricane hits and 1/3rd of the officers quit or simply abandon their posts, and then out of who was left there was this.  How sad for the people of NO, what a tragedy.

 

I forgot these guys were screwed up before the hurricane. Great point. This may be a blessing for the NO police department, unless it was the crooked, corrupt ones that stayed at their post.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I forgot these guys were screwed up before the hurricane. Great point. This may be a blessing for the NO police department, unless it was the crooked, corrupt ones that stayed at their post.

 

 

Somehow I dont think that corrupt cops would stay around when the going got tough and they were actually having to do their jobs.

[southsider2k5]

Somehow I dont think that corrupt cops would stay around when the going got tough and they were actually having to do their jobs.

 

Unless there was a gain to be had...

[NorthSideSox72]

About a third of the NOPD was AWOL when they were called in after the storm. That probably selected out some of the biggest losers.

 

NOPD takes the cake for the worst PD in the US, and that was before Katrina. Of course, they also only get paid 18k/year to start, in one of the highest crime cities in the country. They might as well be begging them to become entrepreneurs.

 

There is a strong inverse correlation between the salary level and job requirements of PDs and their level of corruption and discipline problems. I've seen examples in studies numerous times. Better to have fewer, better paid and better qualified officers than tons of cheap, questionable ones.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

  Of course, they also only get paid 18k/year to start, in one of the highest crime cities in the country.  They might as well be begging them to become entrepreneurs.

 

 

 

 

WOW! They aren't getting paid s***. You would think in a place like that they would at least give them a decent salary. Its starting to make sense why the cops there are s***bags. Why would a smart, motivated young man/woman want to chase bad guys around for a crap salary when there's far better and safer ways to make a living?

[Texsox]

Why would a smart, motivated young man/woman want to chase bad guys around for a crap salary when there's far better and safer ways to make a living?

 

Nuke, I've often thought the same thing about you . . .

 

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Nuke, I've often thought the same thing about you . . .

 

 

 

Touche.

 

 

At least I make more than twice what those guys are making though.

[Rex Kickass]

It's a Catch 22 it seems for most cities. The ones that need the best police protection can't seem to afford to pay even average salaries to its finest.

[Texsox]

Touche.

At least I make more than twice what those guys are making though.

 

At 100x what they are paying those guys, I wouldn't want to be in some of the places we send US Military. I know it isn't the paycheck that keeps most of the guys reenlisting.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

At 100x what they are paying those guys, I wouldn't want to be in some of the places we send US Military. I know it isn't the paycheck that keeps most of the guys reenlisting.

 

 

Some guys are adrenaline junkies, others have families and like the job security, others like the camraderie and still others are easily bought off by re-enlistent cash.

 

 

Theres a bunch of reasons why people stay in.

[Steff]

The COA of NO is roughly 14% less then in Chicago, and the pay scale just under 10%.. anyone know the starting pay of Chicago's finest..??

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

The COA of NO is roughly 14% less then in Chicago, and the pay scale just under 10%.. anyone know the starting pay of Chicago's finest..??

 

 

If I remember right Chicago cops start off in the high 30's and go up to like 50K a year once they come off probation. I could be off but not by a whole lot.

[Rex Kickass]

COA?

[NorthSideSox72]

The COA of NO is roughly 14% less then in Chicago, and the pay scale just under 10%.. anyone know the starting pay of Chicago's finest..??

 

Last I checked it was 35k and change to start. That does not include special pay, like overtime and event work, which pretty much all those guys do. Plus side work in security if you want it (which CPD sort of allows, some other departments don't).

[NorthSideSox72]

It's a Catch 22 it seems for most cities. The ones that need the best police protection can't seem to afford to pay even average salaries to its finest.

 

True. But, that's why I mentioned in my post the choice of numbers versus salary and benefits. Cities that have chosen to spend the same money on fewer officers have, on the whole, had better results in crime rates and personnel problems.

 

I will try to find links. The studies I saw were quite a few years ago.

 

Example: Denver PD pays unusually well for a large city. Those guys start with a base at or just over 50k/year now I think, and Denver is lower COA than Chicago I believe. And they can pick up extra work for more cash too. Plus they make it so that people with college degrees and/or military experience have serious advantage. But Denver has one of the lowest cop/pop ratios in the country.

 

And yet, look at the crime stats for Denver. Much lower per capita than a lot of other large cities, in both >property and >person.

[Steff]

COA?

 

 

Should have been COLA. Cost of living adjustment.