New Orleans police chief makes changes in department

AP via NOLA ^ | 12/5/2005

[ncountylee]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Warren Riley, sworn in as the New Orleans police chief a week ago, began revamping the department on Monday.

The moves came as Riley works to help the department shake off the scandals that followed Hurricane Katrina — including desertion by some officers, thefts by some and charges of brutality that included the beating of a man that was captured by an Associated Press television crew.

"We're trying to make the department more responsive and more efficient," Riley said.

Capt. Steven Nichols, formerly in charge of technical services, was moved to assistant superintendent, the post Riley formerly held.

Capt. Jimmy Scott will head up a new department — the Criminal Bureau of Intelligence.

"As people begin to return to the city, that department will focus on criminal activities — narcotics, gangs, such as that," Riley said. "We want to put them to bed as they come back to the city, handle it before it becomes a problem."

Deputy chief Lonnie Swain was moved to head up a newly created Bureau of Investigations.

"Nothing was centralized previously," Riley said. "We want to change that. This bureau will concentrate on murder, rape, armed robbery."

[ncountylee]

"There's only about 40 or 50 people that can make this entire police department look bad, and anybody who happens to be those 40 or 50 will really and truly be looking for another job," Riley said.

No mention of prosecution Chief?

[appeal2]

Anybody hear anything about the scandal that there were 700 less cops on the payroll than they claimed and that the federal dollars paying for those cops was being siphoned off somewhere, like most money that comes into LA?

I guess they finally found a way to lower crime in NOLA, just empty out the city. They probably almost have enough cops now for the reduced population.

[adamsjas]

"We're trying to make the department more responsive and more efficient," Riley said.

Responsive? Some would say beating people on the street is a bit too responsive.

Efficient? Does that mean getting new police cars (Stolen Cadillacs) even cheaper than FREE?

Someone tell him all they need to make the police forece is HONEST. The rest will come naturally.

[BipolarBob]

They are going to lay off the 700 phantom cops with a generous severance package for their years of faithless service.

[ArmstedFragg]

a new department — the Criminal Bureau of Intelligence.

So.... is "Criminal" supposed to be a noun, or an adjective?

Only in New Orleans. Everybody else calls it the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence which, of course, makes it a bureau in charge of an oxymoron.

[taxesareforever]

Show us you really mean business and remove those 200 non existent police officers from the payroll.

[WasDougsLamb]

----Only time will tell if this one will do anything different. He just might be better at hiding it.But who knows. With each new day brings fresh new hope that someone will clean house down there and get the ball rolling without being on the take himself.

[Mr. Brightside]

Whatever happened to the 1000 nonexistent officers on the NO payroll?

[mewzilla]

From the Dead Pelican's website, on the subject of the NOPD and possible indictments.

[FreedomPoster]

That got started with a report by Tony Snow, IIRC. Tony needs to pony up his source on this one.

[jimfree]

and charges of brutality that included the beating of a man that was captured by an Associated Press television crew.

Why had AP captured a man and why didn't they do the beating themselves?

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Capt. Jimmy Scott will head up a new department — the Criminal Bureau of Intelligence.

Doesn't sound like much change. Now if were the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, maybe.