During these initial days of the hurricane’s wrath, the NOPD continued
operations. Many officers acquitted themselves admirably, while others brought shame
on themselves. News accounts detailed heroic rescues and tireless work on the part of the
department. Other accounts indicated that some police were joining looters, taking not
only essential items, but expensive electronics and automobiles.
The identification of several critical issues illustrates the magnitude of problems
facing NOPD. These issues include the areas of communications, coordination,
resources, and mission priorities. Deficiencies in any one of these areas would pose
serious problems for just about any police department. Facing all of the issues at one
time was a recipe for disaster.
Communications and Coordination
Although American police departments enjoy a degree of autonomy in the
provision of public safety, in part because of reforms during the professional model that
loosened political control of many departments, within departments a command structure
dictated action. The chain-of-command made the issuance of orders and the control of
situations efficient and effective. The advent of the professional model led police
departments to use a variety of communication devices, including telephones, the 911
system, two-way radios, and other wireless technology. These communications advances
provided police officials to coordinate their rank and file much more efficiently, leading
to shortened response times and synchronized responses to events.
The NOPD lost communication capacity as the flood waters rose in the city. The
transmission tower lost power, and without the tower, radios could not function. NOPD
did not have satellite phones, and while random telephone lines and cellular phones
9
Convention