Did New Orleans Cops Empty Cadillac Showroom?
MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer


NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- State authorities are investigating allegations New Orleans police officers broke into a dealership and made off with nearly 200 cars _ including 41 new Cadillacs _ as Hurricane Katrina closed in.

''It is a very, very active investigation,'' Kris Wartelle, spokeswoman for the Louisiana attorney general, said Friday. ''We expect developments quickly.''

Wartelle would not comment on why the officers may have taken the cars or whether they were used in the line of duty.

However, the cars may have been taken before the hurricane even roared into town Aug. 29, according to the president and general manager of the dealership, Doug Stead.

Stead said the cars included 88 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets, 40 used cars, 52 customers' cars and a restored 1970 El Camino and 1966 Impala.

''We put the loss on new cars at $3.7 million (euro3.1 million),'' Stead said. ''The used cars ran another $900,000 (euro741,106).''

When reports first surfaced last month that officers may have taken the cars, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said it was not considered looting because the officers patrolled in the cars.

''There were some officers who did use Cadillacs,'' Riley said. ''Those cars were not stolen.''

On Friday, police spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo said the department's only comment was that it was cooperating with the attorney general's investigation.

Police are also investigating 12 officers for allegedly looting or failing to stop looting. And about 250 police officers _ roughly 15 percent of the force _ could face discipline for leaving their posts without permission during Katrina and its aftermath.

Stead said he got a call Aug. 28 while evacuating the city, telling him one of the dealership's garage doors was open. The rest of his trip was spent fielding calls about his cars.

''I had eight calls from people in an hour saying they heard I was giving police Cadillacs to drive,'' Stead said. ''It seemed like everyone knew about it, so I knew we were in trouble.''

Stead said he got calls from people telling him they had seen his cars in Baton Rouge, Houston and other cities with uniformed police officers driving them. He said people saw his cars parked outside a police precinct.

Keys to the new and used cars were kept in a locked box on the second floor, Stead said. The box was taken on a forklift to the third floor, where a blowtorch was used to open it, he said. For cars without keys, the ignitions were jimmied, he said.

Two new Corvettes were left in the street outside the dealership, apparently stalled out by the floodwaters and abandoned.

The cars recovered so far have various amounts of damage, Stead said.

Because of the damaged garage doors at Stead's dealership, wind funneled into the building and a wall blew down, he said. ''The sad thing is if the building hadn't been vandalized, there would have been no damage at all,'' the dealer said.

WTF  Over!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Over

Caddy time!

What? You cop-bashing SOBs think the police should only loot Chevys and other non-luxury cars? I say that in view of the risks faced by the boys in blue - especially in NO - they are entitled to loot the best.

Quoted: What? You cop-bashing SOBs think the police should only loot Chevys and other non-luxury cars? I say that in view of the risks faced by the boys in blue - especially in NO - they are entitled to loot the best.

. I could only imagine that happening in scottsdale with those cops. Uniformed officers cruising in a bentley.

Quoted: What? You cop-bashing SOBs think the police should only loot Chevys and other non-luxury cars? I say that in view of the risks faced by the boys in blue - especially in NO - they are entitled to loot the best.

I'm pissed FEMA didn't put lights and sirens on those Caddies so the cops could go speeding through neighboring states with lights and sirens.

I can understand COMMANDEERING gasoline or SUVs.

But not cars.

Quoted: Stead said the cars included 88 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets, 40 used cars, 52 customers' cars and a restored 1970 El Camino and 1966 Impala.

If they were patrolling that is one thing...........
If they get "caught" driving them, they are car thieves
If they are\were SELLING them, they need prison time
And, if someone stole the restored 70' Camino they need a serious beating

Word is, they used them to drive to Mal-Mart where they did their "shopping"

Quoted: Did New Orleans Cops Empty Cadillac Showroom? MARY FOSTER Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- State authorities are investigating allegations New Orleans police officers broke into a dealership and made off with nearly 200 cars _ including 41 new Cadillacs _ as Hurricane Katrina closed in. ''It is a very, very active investigation,'' Kris Wartelle, spokeswoman for the Louisiana attorney general, said Friday. ''We expect developments quickly.'' Wartelle would not comment on why the officers may have taken the cars or whether they were used in the line of duty. However, the cars may have been taken before the hurricane even roared into town Aug. 29, according to the president and general manager of the dealership, Doug Stead. Stead said the cars included 88 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets, 40 used cars, 52 customers' cars and a restored 1970 El Camino and 1966 Impala. ''We put the loss on new cars at $3.7 million (euro3.1 million),'' Stead said. ''The used cars ran another $900,000 (euro741,106).'' When reports first surfaced last month that officers may have taken the cars, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said it was not considered looting because the officers patrolled in the cars. ''There were some officers who did use Cadillacs,'' Riley said. ''Those cars were not stolen.'' On Friday, police spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo said the department's only comment was that it was cooperating with the attorney general's investigation. Police are also investigating 12 officers for allegedly looting or failing to stop looting. And about 250 police officers _ roughly 15 percent of the force _ could face discipline for leaving their posts without permission during Katrina and its aftermath. Stead said he got a call Aug. 28 while evacuating the city, telling him one of the dealership's garage doors was open. The rest of his trip was spent fielding calls about his cars. ''I had eight calls from people in an hour saying they heard I was giving police Cadillacs to drive,'' Stead said. ''It seemed like everyone knew about it, so I knew we were in trouble.'' Stead said he got calls from people telling him they had seen his cars in Baton Rouge, Houston and other cities with uniformed police officers driving them. He said people saw his cars parked outside a police precinct. Keys to the new and used cars were kept in a locked box on the second floor, Stead said. The box was taken on a forklift to the third floor, where a blowtorch was used to open it, he said. For cars without keys, the ignitions were jimmied, he said. Two new Corvettes were left in the street outside the dealership, apparently stalled out by the floodwaters and abandoned. The cars recovered so far have various amounts of damage, Stead said. Because of the damaged garage doors at Stead's dealership, wind funneled into the building and a wall blew down, he said. ''The sad thing is if the building hadn't been vandalized, there would have been no damage at all,'' the dealer said.

As to why, the attorney general didn't get a caddy.

So if the storm hit the Carolina's would the cops have looted F150's?

The cat will be completely out of the bag soon enough in NOLA. Then Mayor Fo-shizzle's Muh-Dizzle will be cooked.

Quoted: So if the storm hit the Carolina's would the cops have looted F150's?

Yeah. Since Willys-Overland went out of business.

Quoted: Louisiana police have been stealing cars, money, and many other things for years.  I've seen half a dozen media stings (with NO accountability, even on videotape!), and I have relatives in Arkansas who drive AROUND LA to go to neighboring states, because the problem is so bad. Maybe the rest of the country will start paying more attention. Naaa... who am I kidding? -Troy

Yep.
Pull you over and impound your vehicle for a minor violation.
Officers' wives have been caught driving the stolen impounded vehicles.
And God help you if you're carrying any cash.

Nagin and Bush want billions to resurrect this supercorrupt town? Hell no.

It is hard for me to understand why there were so many NOPD officers needing Caddy's, and so few NOPD Patrol cars available.  If they truly needed vehicles, wouldn't pickups and SUV's serve better?  If they had to take cars, why the most expensive cars?  

The excuse for NOPD looting is that they did not have needed equipment and supplies.  Why did their department not have the necessary equipment?

Well, enough excuses.  The truth is that NOPD is one of the most corrupt PD's in the country.  No need to make excuses for them.  Expose them and ridicule them for what they are.

My hope would be for businessmen to hire plenty of Blackwater, and run NOPD out of town.  Business can ban together, hire their own private security.  At least if there are problems, they can be fired.  Now is a good opportunity to take back their city.

Local article about the caddies

NOPD investigation of Cadillac cops may involve brass
Dozens may have fled in 'commandeered' cars
Cops turned up in Baton Rouge after storm
By James Varney
and Walt Philbin
Staff writers
www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_10_07.html#085633
Acting New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said Thursday that as many as 40 officers from the department's 3rd District, including the commanding captain, are "under scrutiny" for possibly bolting the city in the clutch and heading to Baton Rouge in Cadillacs from a New Orleans dealership.

"It is a subject that is under review," Riley said, stopping short of saying he has launched a formal investigation. Asked if Capt. Donald Paisant, who replaced Capt. James Scott as the 3rd District commander, was a part of that review, Riley said, "Certainly the commander of that district is under scrutiny."

Last week, after reports surfaced that the Louisiana attorney general's office was investigating the alleged theft of about 200 cars from Sewell Cadillac Chevrolet, possibly by NOPD officers, Riley revealed his own internal investigations. All told, Riley said 12 officers were under investigation for looting or failing to combat looting in their presence, four officers had been suspended and one had been reassigned.

He acknowledged then that an unspecified number of officers were being looked at for their alleged involvement in the Sewell incident, which took place in the first four days after Katrina ripped through town.

Riley said he was surprised to learn that "at least 40" 3rd District officers were in Baton Rouge after the hurricane. Riley said that at some point after a number of 3rd District teams were rescued from the Louisiana State University Dental School he spoke to clumps of them at the Hampton Inn and Suites on Convention Center Boulevard.

"At that point they were just settling in for the evening," he said. "A day or so later we learned they were in Baton Rouge, and they were immediately ordered to return to the city."

The story about the 3rd District's involvement at Sewell has percolated among the force for weeks and has some captains enraged, but Riley's statement was the first indication it has come to the attention of NOPD's highest circle.

The 3rd District was flooded out of its Moss Street headquarters, and officers had been trapped in the dental school for three days.

Riley said many of the district's cars had been washed out and that evacuating officers from the dental school proved difficult because the water level was 6 feet below the nearest windows. What's more, officers have related tales of living with no food or water for days, and carrying a 300-pound sergeant with a broken ankle up and down flights of stairs.

It remains unclear how many of the cases launched by Riley will be resolved, but he vowed Thursday, as he did when Mayor Ray Nagin appointed him as acting superintendent, to not let officers off the hook.

"The public will clearly see the change on this as time goes on," he said. "Discipline will be one of our top three priorities, along with professionalism and integrity, and we are doing all that we can to get to the bottom of this."

Quoted: Nagin and Bush want billions to resurrect this supercorrupt town? Hell no.

+1


new Orleans was mostly a cesspool. there's no heavy loss there.....
the entire thing needs to be torn down and resurrected under a new infrastructure and new governmental system. GET RID OF NAGIN!

Wouldnt the Caddys have gotten flooded anyway?

Also,  when Detroit was having all the corruption and was getting cleaned out, they kept saying at least its not the NOPD. That is the worst of the worst as far as corruption and unprofessional behavior is concerned.

Quoted: If they truly needed vehicles, wouldn't pickups and SUV's serve better?  If they had to take cars, why the most expensive cars?

Without violating CoC rules and sounding like bigot I think you can figure out in a police department where 54% are non-causasion why the caddies would be preferred over pick-up trucks.

200 cars stolen....200 officers AWOL.... hmmmmm.

ARDOC, to answer your question, the first article says they were taken before the storm, while everyone was trying to get out of town.

I certainly the DOJ and not the State looks into this.  The whole state is about as corrupt as it can get.