Police Struggles in New Orleans Raise Old Fears : a city managed by demohacks
By CHRISTOPHER DREW
NEW ORLEANS, June 9 — Within the Police Department here, the SWAT team is known as The Final Option. Before Hurricane Katrina, it was assigned to the city's worst crimes, and as residents return, it is once again kicking in the doors at the worst drug dens and engaging in shootouts with violent offenders.
But the team is also running dangerously low on firepower. Flooding ruined 300 of its guns, its bullet-resistant shields and the bulk of its ammunition, none of which have been replaced more than nine months after the hurricane. The 40-man team has had to borrow body armor from suburban forces, and the Police Department is lining up corporate sponsors to contribute more.
"I tell you what: we're hurting," said the team's commander, Capt. Jeffrey Winn.
The SWAT unit's difficulties reflect how far from normal many police operations remain here, as residents return and another hurricane season begins. Like the rest of the city, the police force is still struggling to recover from the calamity of Hurricane Katrina, which knocked out its headquarters, overwhelmed its ability to maintain control and prompted desertions that tarnished the force's reputation. |
