Posted on 10/28/2005 8:23:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW ORLEANS - Fifty-one members of the New Orleans Police Department — 45 officers and six civilian employees — were fired Friday for abandoning their posts before or after Hurricane Katrina.
"They were terminated due to them abandoning the department prior to the storm," acting superintendent Warren Riley said. "They either left before the hurricane or 10 to 12 days after the storm and we have never heard from them."
Police were unable to account for 240 officers on the 1,450-member force following Katrina. The force has been investigating them to see if they left their posts during the storm.
The mass firing was the first action taken against the missing officers. Another 15 officers resigned when placed under investigation for abandonment.
"This isn't representative of our department," Riley said. "We had a lot of heroes that stepped up after the storm."
Another 45 officers resigned from the force after the Aug. 29 storm. The resignations were for personal reasons ranging from relocation to new employment, Riley said.
The fired officers do not have the right to appeal, Riley said.
"The regulation says that if you leave the job for a period of 14 days without communication you can be terminated," Riley said. "I don't think they have the right to a civil service appeal."
Lt. David Benelli, president of the New Orleans police union, said he had no sympathy for those who abandoned their post.
"The worst thing you can call a police officer is a deserter," Benelli said.
None of the officers had contacted the union about fighting the dismissals, he said.
Two former New Orleans police officers and a New Orleans firefighter were rejected for jobs in the Dallas Police Department because of allegations they deserted their jobs during Hurricane Katrina.
"When you are ready and take an oath of office and you do not fulfill that office, that's an issue for us and it should be an issue for law enforcement in general," Dallas Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson said Thursday.
Hearings for the New Orleans officers that remain under investigation for abandonment will begin Nov. 8 and last four to six months, Riley said.
The department is also investigating the beating of a man during his arrest and the assault on an Associated Press television producer.
"It's still ongoing, but we hope to have a conclusion within a few weeks," Riley said.
Among these deserters: 45 coincidently named Capt. Jonathan Tuttle.
Now is that the real cops or the ghosts ones that got canned...?
posted twice before, but what the hell. They are still idiots.
True enough to agree twice.
mc 8>)
And they're just getting around to firing them now? It's good to see that NO moved on this at about the same speed that they moved on the hurricane evacuation plan.
Good. But did they get to keep the Cadillacs?
It's tough to do when you actually don't exist...
And a lot names on the police dept. rolls that are not even people.. Whos getting their paychecks.?. What about the other departments.. NO is a pit of corruption that maybe even could embarass New Jersey.. or Seattle..
Thanks
and
Thanks!
Only fired?
They abridged their contract with the people.
Are they going to give their past earnings back?
They should be imprisoned.
And then deported.
It's just a slap on the wrist.
worse then N.J.? Holy moley I didn't think anything was worse then N.J. cept maybe the U.N.
Am i right that cpt. Tuttle was "exxon valdez" skipper?
Joseph Hazelwood was skipper of the Exxon Valdez.
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