This is our training issue, and I had prepared an editorial page covering the importance of trainers setting an example and emphasizing the importance of being a role model. Trainers have that responsibility by default, and many underestimate its significance. I thought this was an important concept with which to challenge our readers, and I was almost finished when Hurricane Katrina hit. Like the rest of the country, I watched as one of the largest disasters in America’s history unfolded over a period of several days. The destruction brought about by the high winds and storm surge was bad enough, but the tragic aftermath was absolutely unbelievable. The rapid breakdown of society’s moral fabric was unprecedented in the modern history of the free world.
Unfortunately, some of society’s most visible role models, “the cops,” lost their moral compass, and in so doing, they contributed to the breakdown. Many abandoned the city they served, and some of them even engaged in criminal activity. Where did we go wrong? How could people who had sworn to protect and serve, to uphold the law and to put others first fail so miserably?
It’s important to note many of the New Orleans officers did their job in heroic fashion. One such group of officers in the 6th District set up a command post in a WalMart to protect the store and surrounding area from looting. Using a large Caterpillar tractor, they fortified their position by moving cars and large pallets of crushed cardboard in front of the store. In the 1st District, several dozen officers were trapped for two days between rising floodwaters and snipers from an adjacent housing complex. The officers from both areas nicknamed their locations Fort Apache, referring to the movie based on a police station that came under attack. These officers and others like them who labored under the worst of circumstances deserve the highest praise. Many had lost their homes and some were even uncertain as to the fate of their families. These officers are the heroes, no doubt about it.
Unfortunately, many of their fellow officers apparently did not feel the same commitment. Depending on which source you rely upon, somewhere from 250 500 officers simply failed to show up for work. When you consider the department has less than 1,500 sworn officers, this is absolutely appalling. As this magazine is going to press, the department has announced the termination of 51 personnel for abandoning their posts or dereliction. Another 15 officers resigned rather than face investigation. At the same time, there are multiple investigations under way alleging officers involved in on-duty looting as well as the thefts of dozens of new Cadillacs and other vehicles. It’s clear these incidents went well beyond acquiring emergency provisions. Although Acting Police Superintendent Warren Riley originally said the cars were necessary for patrol, the Louisiana State Attorney General’s office feels otherwise, and the department now simply says it will cooperate with the AG’s investigation. By the way, Riley is the acting police superintendent because his predecessor, Eddie Compass, abruptly quit a few days after Katrina struck.
What do these events have to do with training? Proper training results in discipline and a prepared mindset. It also results in people with a plan who are ready to confront the toughest challenges. New Orleans was not prepared for Katrina. Regardless of how you view the current blame game, the city and its leaders, including the police, knew they were in harms way long before Katrina. An extensive and expensive eight-day drill held in June 2004 simulated hurricane response and resulting evacuation in the New Orleans area. Two weeks before Katrina hit, a person who had participated in that drill told me the evacuation plans were an absolute disaster and the city was woefully unprepared. How prophetic were his words. It’s not FEMA’s fault so many New Orleans police officers abandoned their city and fellow cops, or that no one saw fit to move hundreds of police cars to higher ground when it was known for days Katrina was coming.
Remember: Those of us in public safety take an oath to serve, and that oath is not something you simply discard when the going gets rough. Explaining why the Dallas Police Department (DPD) rejected two New Orleans officers who had recently applied, DPD Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson said, “We take an oath of office and we can’t selectively choose when we want to uphold that oath.” Well said.
Do you train with a sense of purpose? Are you committed to your calling? Have you prepared your family and your subordinates for the role they will have to take on in the event of a disaster? Officers must have a strong sense of purpose, self-worth and confidence. They must see that their organization models these attributes. If they do not, they will falter under pressure. When this happens, the organization has only itself and its leaders to blame.
Dale Stockton, editor
