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New Orleans chief says 60 officers fired
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-09 18:55
The city has fired 60 police officers and suspended more
than 25 others who didn't show up for duty in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, the city's police chief said Thursday as officials worked their way
through a long list of disciplinary hearings.
New Orleans Police Chief Warren Riley speaks
during an interview with the Associated Press in New Orleans Thursday,
Dec. 8, 2005. [AP] |
Most of the fired officers, 51 of them, were let go before the hearings
began, Police Chief Warren Riley said.
The 228 officers now involved in the disciplinary hearings left New Orleans
without permission in the days after the hurricane hit, the chief told The
Associated Press in an interview.
"They did return. But they left without permission, and at a critical time
like this, it's totally unacceptable," Riley said.
The hurricane hit on Aug. 29, leaving much of the city under water and in
chaos. Looters broke into stores and homes, there were reports of shootings in
the streets, and there were assaults inside the Superdome, where thousands of
residents who were unable to evacuate rode out the storm.
Some of New Orleans' police officers were stranded in the flooding and unable
to check in with their commanders, but others were accused of adding to the
chaos.
For Riley, sworn in as police chief Nov. 28 following the resignation of
Eddie Compass, getting the questions out of the way and scrubbing the
department's image has become a priority.
He said officials are now about one-fifth of the way through the 228
disciplinary hearings, with 42 completed.
So far, two officers listed as AWOL have been exonerated, Riley said.
"We've had nine people that have been terminated, one
captain resigned under investigation, one sergeant was demoted, one sergeant
received a 40-day suspension, two officers were cleared, exonerated of any
misconduct," Riley said. "The remaining officers of those 42 received anywhere
from 30 to 95 days suspensions."
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