Police Corruption in New Orleans - Essay Example

? Police Corruption in New Orleans Before and After Hurricane Katrina Introduction That the police exist to enforce peace and order cannot be denied.This being the case, it is equally unquestionable that their first responsibility is to the people for whom they keep the peace in the first place. Given their noble duty and calling of serving the people, then, one would expect that policemen would do their utmost to live up to the high expectations society has of them. Equally, if not more important, is that those in charge of the police force have the responsibility of ensuring that only the most competent and morally upright candidates are absorbed into their ranks. However, this may not always hold true. For one reason or another, there are countries in which those part of the law enforcement agency are not only poor or incompetent at their job, but are more concerned of pursuing their own self-interests rather than to serve and to protect. Of course, the most instinctive solution would be to kick them out of the force, but even this does not always happen – often because the higher-ups remain ignorant, or worse, are themselves complicit in such morally questionable acts. While no law enforcement agency can ever be characterized as perfect – not least because each one will have at least a few shortcomings or problem areas to balance out its strengths – there are those that go as far as they can in the other extreme, not just failing to enforce and uphold law and order but even actively undermining it. In such a case, the so-called law enforcers become little more than goons in uniform, terrorizing the public in a manner not unlike the criminals they are supposed to be hunting down. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, there are law enforcement agencies which can be aptly described in such a manner. One of the more infamous examples in recent memory is the New Orleans Police Force, which was rocked by all manner of issues such as corruption and police brutality in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This paper is thus intended as a look at the corruption that rocked the NOPD to its foundations in the immediate aftermath of the calamity, hopefully in order to draw conclusions about how best to prevent such a scandal from recurring in the future. NOPD – The Corruption As noted in the New York Times by Treaster and Newman (2005), the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina saw the bulk of the police force dedicated to mounting rescue efforts all over the city. Unfortunately, this also meant that they ended up turning a blind eye to the opportunists who chose that moment to enrich themselves at the cost of the victims of the disaster. As a matter of fact, the inaction of the police force to these crimes resulted in criminals becoming so audacious as to commit crimes not only in broad daylight, but even in front of officers themselves in some cases – often with only a slap on the wrist to show for it, if at all. In fact, the situation got so bad that even then-City Councilor Jackie Clarkson was forced to acknowledge and lament the rapidly deteriorating situation. The calamity that had struck only recently at that time led to a major, major breakdown in channels of transportation and communications, which in turn led to a disquieting impotence on the part of police officers to properly counteract the terrible, terrible spike in crime rates. Looting in particular became alarmingly common during this time, with the shopkeepers involved forced to defend their property all by themselves. Armed robbery also reached a disturbing level of frequency at this point in the history of New Orleans, with most of the victims being robbed at gunpoint. For the most part, though, the looting incidents that were reported simply involved calamity victims gathering basic necessities such as food, water and clothing from unattended stores – which, while still being far from legally or morally permissible, were much more understandable in light of the terrible, terrible damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Far less conscionable, though, was the fact that even some police officers took part in such criminal activity. NOPD Corruption As noted, such chaos and disorder, while by all accounts unfortunate, was not entirely unexpected considering how much havoc the calamity managed to inflict on the people of New Orleans. However, that it was anticipated did not make it any less undesirable. This is especially applicable to the police force, some of whom were not merely occupied by rescue and relief attempts dedicated to victims of the disaster, but also because they actively committed and participated in such acts of violence. Indeed, things got so bad that then-Mayor Nagin was forced to declare New Orleans under a state of emergency, even bringing the military into the picture (Borger, 2005). In an attempt to deter the massive spike in violence following the wrath of Katrina, these soldiers were given the order by then-Governor Kathleen Blanco to shoot to kill (BBC News, 2005). Regardless, even such intervention on the part of the state government was far from enough to keep the situation from escalating like it did. Relief attempts ended up failing, and all in all, the citizens of New Orleans suffered terribly – no thanks to a bunch of criminals, ironically including certain evil elements in the police force, who took advantage of the bedlam in order to pursue their own ends (CNN, 2005). Among the most outrageous of these was a shooting on Danziger Bridge, leaving two dead and four more injured (Associated Press, 2005). While the officers involved attempted to justify themselves by claiming that the civilians attacked contractors of the US Army Corps, disrupting their attempts to repair the 17th Street Canal, but the veracity of this claim was disputed by eyewitnesses who reported that the victims were simply seeking solace from the flood when they were shot at. The seven officers implicated for murder charges as a result of this incident subsequently became known as the ‘Danziger 7’, though the case against them would eventually be dropped and dismissed due to misconduct by the prosecution. Aside from this, it was also reported that at least 200 NOPD officers were guilty of deserting their duties during the crisis (CBS News, 2009). In the immediate aftermath, these officers were summoned before the deputy chief in order to explain their actions. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in approximately 85% of the supposed deserters being relieved of their duties as law enforcers. Conversely, those who remained faithful to their responsibilities and duties during the crisis were given their just reward and recognition, the most readily visible of which was a Hurricane Katrina lapel that was subsequently worn on their uniforms. What may be worse is that such corruption has been said to have plagued the NOPD even well before Katrina’s fury left New Orleans in ruins. As explained by Mulrine (2005) notes how then-police chief Eddie Compass had a number of issues to contend with upon being given the reins of the police force. Among other things, certain officers belonging to the NOPD had been found guilty of attempting to rob a bank, sent to death row for murder and even become implicated in a scam that robbed victims of up to a million dollars a year. The article also notes how Compass had good intentions and high hopes for the NOPD, and how he intended to erase the lingering fear that citizens of New Orleans seemed to harbor for police officers. Among other things, he cited how common it was for children to flee upon spotting police cruisers patrolling the area, and how he wanted to change all that. With this in mind, among the most important promises Compass made upon his retirement was that he would step up efforts to combat corruption within the police force. Judging from how he resigned in the immediate aftermath of the corruption scandals following Hurricane Katrina, though, it can be said that he tragically failed in this endeavor. In fact, aside from the aforementioned Danziger 7, at least 12 other officers would be accused of looting during the disaster, with some even having the audacity to steal cars from a certain dealership based in the area. The saddest part of the whole affair is that it may not even have been Compass’s fault that he failed – by all accounts, the NOPD had already been characterized as being plagued by issues such as corruption for the longest time. Aftermath Going by the aforementioned observations, what can be said is that corruption has long plagued the NOPD even well before the fury of Katrina. All the same, though, it was that calamity which exposed the local police force’s impostures to the entire world. Given the unwanted publicity experienced by the NOPD as a result, one would hope that steps were taken to curb corruption within the ranks. Sadly, though, it seems that they may still have a long way to go before the problem of corruption is finally dealt with. For instance, a report by Johnson (2010) notes how the memory of the incidents in the aftermath of the disaster continues to plague the force even today. NOPD superintendent Ronel Serpas was said to have read the many accusations leveled at NOPD officers with alarm and revulsion – at least half of whom have already been found guilty by the courts. It was said that these officers murdered civilians trying to seek shelter from the storm, and then attempted to cover the whole thing up by colluding with each other in order to come up with a consistent fabrication of events. Current Mayor Mitch Landrieu likewise lamented the current state of the NOPD, calling it one of the worst in the country. Needless to say, a complete transformation and reformation is something the NOPD urgently needs. Thompson (2011) attests to this, citing how at least four out of the five accused were convicted of unlawfully discharging their service firearms on the citizens, aside from being found guilty of conspiring to obstruct justice and then prosecute the survivors of their random act of violence. The latter charge in particular applied to former Sgt. Arthur Kaufman, who had been tasked to investigate the incident, but then used his power to further cover up the incident. And while this is undoubtedly an important victory in the fight to clean up the NOPD, much more remains to be done. In fact, even without the infamous case of the Danziger 7, the NOPD is already facing a whole host of charges (Jonsson, 2011). Not only have they been charged with the crimes of excessive force and police brutality, accusations were also made against them for their failure to investigate crimes against women and homosexuals, and for their engagement in racial profiling of young black males. The same article quotes Julie Smith, a celebrated New Orleans-based crime author, who notes the laissez-faire attitude members of the NOPD seem to have adopted towards crime and connects it to the upbringing experienced by nearly every inhabitant of New Orleans. As such, the environment itself was said to have a hand in the sad state of the New Orleans Police Department. Naturally, the Department of Justice has become all too aware of the problems plaguing the NOPD, and to this day is exercising every means necessary to come up with a long-lasting solution to this predicament. In a report by Jervis (2010), it was said that a ‘pattern or practice’ discrimination lawsuit may be brought to bear against the city, which would then pave the way for a full and complete change to be brought about courtesy of the relevant court orders. More than simply relying on widespread criminal prosecution, says Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, a real and long-lasting solution is needed to result in a genuinely reformed NOPD. Conclusion Indeed, New Orleans has long been known for the issues of corruption plaguing its police force. And as has been mentioned above, this is a problem that has been present there even before Hurricane Katrina, which merely served to expose these problems to the whole world. Naturally, such issues provoked much outrage and horror from the public, but even this has had some good come out of it. If nothing else, the sudden attention being given to the issues being experienced by the NOPD has sparked a real effort on their part to improve things and make them better. As also noted above, such efforts are beginning to bear fruit. Surely, this is an indication that while things at the NOPD might have been bad, they are still salvageable, and that the NOPD is not yet beyond redemption. At the same time, though, this is all the more reason why substantial effort and change needs to be enacted, if the NOPD is to restore its image to what it ought to be, and if the inhabitants of New Orleans are to have faith in their law enforcers once again. References 60 New Orleans polie fired (2009) CBS News. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/09/katrina/main1115305.shtml Borger, J. (2005) Mayor issues SOS as chaos tightens its grip. The Guardian. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/katrina.impact/index.html Jervis, R. (2010) Corruption cases put New Orleans cops up against wall. USA Today. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-04-13-new-orleans-cops_N.htm Johnson, K. (2010) For New Orleans cops, the scandals still linger. USA Today. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-08-19-1ANOcops19_CV_N.htm Jonsson, P. (2011) Feds slam New Orleans police over excessive force, racial profiling. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0318/Feds-slam-New-Orleans-police-over-excessive-force-racial-profiling Mulrine, A. (2005) When the cops turn into bad guys. US News. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051010/10cops.htm New Orleans officers charged with murder (2006) Associated Press. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-04-13-new-orleans-cops_N.htm New Orleans rocked by huge blasts (2005) BBC News. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4207202.stm Relief workers confront ‘urban warfare’ (2005) CNN. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/katrina.impact/index.html Thompson, A. C. (2011) Five New Orleans cops convicted for their role in post-Katrina shootings. Pro Publica. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.propublica.org/nola/story/five-new-orleans-cops-convicted-for-their-role-in-post-katrina-shootings Treaster, J. B. and Newman, M. (2005) Rescuers search for survivors as higher death tolls are feared. The New York Times. Retrieved on October 20, 2011 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-04-13-new-orleans-cops_N.htm Read More