Plenty of people are getting back to work and asking each other, “So how was your break?”
One of Xy’s fellow teachers answered thusly:
He was taking a shower in his house in Algiers when the police kicked in his door and sent in a K-9 unit. The dog rampaged through the house, somehow got up into the attic, and then fell through the ceiling on top of the guy as he emerged from the shower. The dog then attacked the guy, biting his leg. The guy had a grip on the dog’s jaws when the police entered and told him to leave the dog alone. They were searching for a young man with dreadlocks. This teacher is middle-aged and bald.
He wanted to sue but his lawyer told him to forget it, there are so many people waiting in line to get a settlement from the police department.
I don’t know what to make of this tale. It seems so fantastic. But Xy heard it directly from the guy’s mouth. And he was walking with a cane.
So how was your break?
File this under “Why David isn’t in New Orleans”
The NOPD is no more than a roving gang. I know that’s a strong statement, but consider: During my years in New Orleans, I’ve known entirely too many people who were victims of crimes from the seemingly petty to the most severe. For all of those victims, I haven’t heard of a single instance in which the cops’ involvement remediated the situation one iota–I mean not a damn, single instance. And for every one of those failures by the NOPD, there seems to be an instance of law-biding people (like Xy’s colleague) being victimized by them.
I fucking hate the NOPD.
I have a friend who is a sergeant on the NOPD. He hates his job and will soon retire. He told me recently that most street cops could not give less of a shit about their jobs. They simply do not do their jobs. They do not stop suspicious people in cars. Do not investigate crimes. Do not return calls from crime victims. Do not do anything. Most cannot write a coherent sentence and thus turn in unusable reports. In general they are a pathetic excuse for a police department. And the Chief, Mr. Reilly, is a complete clueless idiot. Of course he has the full support of our pathetic mayor.
Don’t recall if you know Charles or not, but:
http://www.musicalfamilytree.net/profiles/blogs/new-home-in-new-orleans
Hope all’s well!
I imagine his year could only get better. He might consider relocating.
That’s gotta be one of the crazyiest things I’ve ever heard! OMG!
I am not so sure about the advice that your wife’s fellow teacher got from his lawyer. I would seek a second opinion from a civil lawyer who does this stuff regularly. It sounds like he has a very good claim and its important that the police’s misdeeds be scrutinized and, where necessary, punished as it will make them less likely.