interdictor: Outpost Crystal's Police Officer

interdictor (

interdictor) wrote,
@ 2005-09-01 00:35:00

Outpost Crystal's Police Officer
More from the Police Officer. I'm typing as fast as i can while he talks to us:

He's only hearing bits and pieces. The people in the city are shooting at the police. They're upset that they're not getting help quickly enough. The firemen keep calling because they're under fire. He doesn't understand why the people are shooting at the rescuers. Here it is 5 days ago the Mayor said get out of town and nobody went and now they're pissed.

The National Guard was at the Hilton, but now the Hilton is evacuated. When they said the CBD was gonna get 6 feet of water, it seems like everyone evacuated.

He turned the corner onto Canal Street and it looked like a flea market. People breaking into every store, going to the neutral gound (median) and trading and selling everything.

They broke into Winn Dixie Monday Night. Do they steal food? No. Cigarettes and liquor. Store was a mess. All the meats were going to waste so the districts went over there to salvage food for officers. Many cops have been eating MREs.

The Iberville Housing Projects got pissed off because the police started to "shop" after they kicked out looters. Then they started shooting at cops. When the cops left, the looters looted everything. There's probably not a grocery left in this city.

Over 30 officers have quit over the last 3 days. Out of 160 officers in his district maybe 55 or 60 are working. He hasn't seen several since Sunday. HQ is closed, evacuated. No phones to contact them.

"HQ, be advised, we're going 10 7."

"Ok, y'all coming back on???"

"We don't know."

More in a few.

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(81 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	another93 2005-09-01 05:50 am UTC (link)
	So much for 'to protect and serve'. (Reply to this) (Thread)

easy buddy

mattix9
2005-09-01 06:00 am UTC (link)

This is a local police force, they're not in place to be ready for MAJOR disasters the likes of which have never happened before in the US. That's what FEMA is for (hello, FEMA, are you there yet?) The police command and comms structure is a mess -- likely budgets are to blame for that, when it comes out in the wash. (Really, what needs to come out in the wash is why the ACE budget for restoring levees was CUT in recent months by Bush, none of this woulda happened: Article on Levee building funding being cut )

Some cops are taking advantage, but others are probably just overwhelmed. Give them a break, they're doing what they can, Im sure.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: easy buddy -

xenon_zircon_23, 2005-09-01 07:19 am UTC

Re: easy buddy -

varro, 2005-09-01 08:42 am UTC

Re: easy buddy -

cowbert, 2005-09-01 12:54 pm UTC

	hang in there hurricaneamy 2005-09-01 05:50 am UTC (link)
	I've been following your posts since sometime on Monday I think. A friend pointed me to katrinacane, where I saw your entries. Wanted you to know i'm praying for all you gusy there. There's so much more I coudl say, but no words. Just hate, for all of you, the devistation. But what you said is true: you do what you must. So keep on. And thanks for keeping the updates coming (Reply to this)

	food/protection null_exe 2005-09-01 05:51 am UTC (link)
	you all are still doing all right in the food/diesel/ammo are a though right? I'm in Nacogdoches, Tx right now, so I can't do anything, but some of us here at the University are trying to come up with a safe way to shuttle some stuff to you all. No promises, but we're doing our best to brainstorm. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: food/protection fyre 2005-09-01 10:23 am UTC (link)
	If you come up with anything, let me know and I'll see if I can't get people in Houston to contribute, too. Only trouble is that I'm pretty much stuck at home... no income, out of savings, and a gas-guzzling vehicle. But I can co-ordinate shit online, something fierce. heh. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	troubleinchina 2005-09-01 05:51 am UTC (link)
	Please be safe. (Reply to this)

	ndrose 2005-09-01 05:52 am UTC (link)
	Not to be harsh and I knew they are in a stressful situation but the residents who are left in NO are not making a good showing. The press keeps saying the people who stayed were too poor to leave but that doesn't explain their behavior. Maybe Mandatory was too big of a word for people to understand. (Reply to this) (Thread)

volkai
2005-09-01 06:09 am UTC (link)

If you can't afford gas or a greyhound bus to leave, it doesn't matter how strongly you're urged to leave, the only option is on foot.
I don't know about you, but if my options were to walk out of New Orleans and travel by foot, or stay in New Orleans and weather the storm, I probably would have chosen the latter if I didn't think it would be as bad as it turned out to be. Many who stayed were likely thinking something along those, I would think.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

rocza, 2005-09-01 06:23 am UTC

(no subject) -

etoilepb, 2005-09-01 10:21 pm UTC

(no subject) -

marieoroumania, 2005-09-01 02:39 pm UTC

	zecro 2005-09-01 05:58 am UTC (link)
	I hope you can make it through with the food/fuel you have. Drestorying staircases might be a good last resort... Good luck and Godspeed (Reply to this)

	rachiechan 2005-09-01 06:03 am UTC (link)
	Good luck. I can't even imagine what it's like to watch these things happen first hand. (Reply to this)

	thoughtcr1me 2005-09-01 06:07 am UTC (link)
	Stay safe, and thanks for the updates. Fingers are crossed, which makes it tough to type but hey, that and my checkbook are about all I can do from here. ;) (found your journal via irish trojan) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	monack 2005-09-01 06:17 am UTC (link)
	I just needed to say - your icon friggen rocks. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

thoughtcr1me, 2005-09-01 06:23 am UTC

	volkai 2005-09-01 06:10 am UTC (link)
	Stay safe, man. I was pointed your direction by megatokyo, in case you wanted to know. (Reply to this)

find_ag_lining
2005-09-01 06:14 am UTC (link)

Do the people who are wandering the streets know where to go to get out? I have no idea how it could be coordinated without communications or power, but my thought was the old flyer routine. Post flyers on every pole and wall (above the water line) explaining the ETA on power and running water (weeks or months) and which parking lots, schools, etc., they can gather at for evacuations.

Maybe I'm living in a fantasy world thinking the looters even want to get out of town.

You guys are in my thoughts and prayers over here in California.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	clobby 2005-09-01 06:23 am UTC (link)
	That is an extremely good point you just made. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

find_ag_lining, 2005-09-01 06:33 am UTC

(no subject) -

n47, 2005-09-01 06:34 am UTC

	monack 2005-09-01 06:16 am UTC (link)
	Good God... Stay safe. And National Guard - where the heck are you??? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Where are the National Guard? chvytruk 2005-09-01 06:29 am UTC (link)
	Well, most of them are in Iraq... (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Where are the National Guard? -

n47, 2005-09-01 06:38 am UTC

Re: Where are the National Guard? - (Anonymous), 2005-09-01 07:01 am UTC

(no subject) -

jenelope, 2005-09-02 12:28 am UTC

twilighttreader
2005-09-01 06:16 am UTC (link)

Quite frankly, were I in that situation, I would be looting food, weapons, and supplies... and ok, maybe a bottle of Jack or two if I found them.

As for gunfights between civilians and police... don't forget, many of these people have probably had an antagonistic relationship with the authorities for their entire lives. With all semblances of control gone, they have little reason to see the cops as more than better-armed thugs (and it appears that's how some of them have been acting).

While I don't exactly condone people's behavior, I find it rather hard (and most certainly pointless) to condemn it at this point in time.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	marieoroumania 2005-09-01 02:39 pm UTC (link)
	ESPECIALLY in class-defined Louisiana. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	ungluedingenue 2005-09-01 06:20 am UTC (link)
	Been reading via RSS for some time now. I think it's absolutely excellent that you're passing information like this along, unfiltered. Good luck down there. And I love the bouncing blue cube on the monitor. Hypnotic, truly. (Reply to this)

	Keep hanging in there airbaby 2005-09-01 06:25 am UTC (link)
	You, and everyone else in the areas hit, are in our thoughts. Thank you for making the effort to put information out there that isn't filtered to the mass media. (Reply to this)

	n47 2005-09-01 06:25 am UTC (link)
	glad to have found your journal. i have friends and family that live (or should i say use to live) in new orleans. i appreciate being able to get this information from a regular citizen rather than the media. take care... (Reply to this)

	awakesoon 2005-09-01 06:26 am UTC (link)
	MSNBC is saying that the Mayor is sending out 1000 police into the streets. Riiiight. MSNBC needs to see THIS. My prayers are with you. <3 (Reply to this) (Thread)

	beanfriedpork 2005-09-01 08:00 am UTC (link)
	That's for New Orleans as a whole. The 55-60 number was just for one district. Not that the report at the top isn't still terrifying. 1000 police would not be nearly enough anyway for this sort of thing. New Orleans probably employs about 1500 police full time. 1000 aint nearly enough to handle The Dawn of the Dead-type situation that is rapidly being approached. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	shadowblue 2005-09-01 06:31 am UTC (link)
	This is amazing. I don't fault that guy for a second for coming in there. Keep it coming -- the public really should be hearing what it's really like, not what the FEMA guy says it's like. The disparity is amazing. Thanks for staying. (Reply to this)

	skilletaudio 2005-09-01 06:32 am UTC (link)
	Utterly astounding. I can only hope more people are being resourceful like this for their own safety and for others. I hope once the military hits pavement that people will get their minds back, otherwise I would hate to see them have to use force against their own citizens to regain order. (Reply to this)

	protect nexus604 2005-09-01 06:34 am UTC (link)
	I am sure you are all taking shifts with your ARs ready to fire and pistols on your belts. I hope so. That's the only way I would feel safe. (Reply to this)

	sum1elves 2005-09-01 06:40 am UTC (link)
	Being in Australia, this sort of thing absolutely boggles my mind. I can't even comprehend what it would take to conceive what this sort of situation is like. Complete chaos. I hope the military are there by now... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	dejaflynn 2005-09-02 10:39 am UTC (link)
	Being an Australian citizen, you actually have an instance of this happening in your very own country. Kick around google some; I forget where it was, but a significant natural disaster (I believe it was a hurricane in the 1970s) essentially wiped a very large city off your map. I believe it was rebuilt. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

forever_damned, 2005-09-04 04:48 am UTC

(no subject) -

dejaflynn, 2005-09-04 07:11 am UTC

(no subject) -

forever_damned, 2005-09-04 07:15 am UTC

	lil_deth_cukie 2005-09-01 06:43 am UTC (link)
	good luck out there. i think it's really brave that you're still out there with all the chaos and are trying to let others outside know what its really like. i'm just some girl from california who came to this site out of curiosity, but i've been keeping up with the updates for a while now. so please stay safe and you and the city are in my thoughts. (Reply to this)

seen this before

darkcoffee
2005-09-01 06:47 am UTC (link)

I was in NYC during 9-11 and the cops were in sort of the same state, although much more command and control remained (and a mayor who, though kind of a shit in many ways, really rocked when the time came) there was a general sense of cops and firemen being utterly out of the depth they'd trained for and operating on intuition, which is about as good as anybody's, sure, but not collectively the way you want to run law enforcement. This is a military situation, just like 9-11 was, at least around the WTC. The actual military will be there soon. Whether they should have been their earlier I guess we'll be debating for a long time. Good luck, you folks. Hang tough. Help IS massing.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: seen this before realityknight 2005-09-01 05:12 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, I've been less than impressed with the leadership abilities of the both the Mayor of NOLA and the Gov'na. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: seen this before -

etoilepb, 2005-09-01 10:30 pm UTC

Re: seen this before -

realityknight, 2005-09-01 10:59 pm UTC

	artlifepassion 2005-09-01 06:50 am UTC (link)
	sounds like things are very out of control. be careful and don't take any risks you don't need to. i lived through hurricane charlie last year and remember the fact that no national guard showed up for some time so don't count on that right away. i can't imagine all that PLUS 5-20 feet of water all over. (Reply to this)

	mercenaryx2070 2005-09-01 07:07 am UTC (link)
	Thoughts and prayers are with you always. Hopefully a blog like this will allow people to realize and understand the fact that this is a truly a major disaster and definetly shouldn't be something to just blow off and overlook. So thank you for your hardcore posts and again, my thoughts and prayers are with ya'... (Reply to this)

	razorw1re 2005-09-01 07:20 am UTC (link)
	Sounds like you have kept your cool. Your in my thoughts. I hope you all make it through this. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like. Good luck. (Reply to this)

(81 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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