The last Maroon opinion poll asked if the University Police made you feel safe. I wish they had asked me that question, but since they didn’t I am going to give an elaborate answer. No.
That’s my elaborate answer. Most of the time I forget the University Police is here for our safety. I generally think of them as glorified meter maids.
It’s not really their fault. How can the meager UP protect the students if the almighty New Orleans Police cannot protect the city? The UP’s role models are unsatisfactory at best.
To defend the NOPD, they have an inadequate number of police officers for such a large area. And even with higher numbers of law enforcement, some areas are too scary to send the precious number of cops.
Speaking of law enforcement, how can the police be expected to enforce laws if the government cannot follow them? Louisiana is known for its corruption and political sabotage. If those running this state cannot follow the laws, why should the residents of this state? And if those enforcing the law are above the law, how can the law enforcers do their job properly? They can’t.
The NOPD is so desperate for police officers that it is filled with poor quality officers. For example, last month an off-duty police officer killed a man by driving the wrong way down the HOV lane on the Crescent City Connection. In the early morning hours the traffic flows from the West Bank into New Orleans. This enlightened officer was driving his marked vehicle off-duty, carting around another off-duty officer and a female friend. He went around the barricade that indicated traffic was flowing from the other side of the river, and hit a SUV head on. The driver was killed while the passengers of the police car sustained minor injuries.
Now most folks would see the barrier up preventing access to the road and turn around. Not a New Orleans cop. He has to drive around the barricade to show off. Granted, he was charged with vehicular homicide and he was suspended from the force, but why do it in the first place? It gives the NOPD a bad name.
In Louisiana it’s not just the NOPD that provides inadequate protection. Derrick Todd Lee’s name was turned in to detectives in Baton Rouge time and again on the serial killer tip line. Even though officers were looking for the proverbial white male in a white pickup truck, wouldn’t you get suspicious if the same name turned up over and over again? I know I would.
Lee killed seven women and attacked one, who survived. If police had followed up on Lee after the numerous calls about him, at least half of the murders could have been avoided.
Why am I writing about this you ask? Well, I just asked myself the same thing. I guess it’s been a slow news week for me. Or maybe I realized the futility of last week’s poll and had to jump on the gun. Either way, it’s hard to feel safe in a state where a man who kills a three-year-old boy while driving drunk can have a benefit to raise money for his defense.
So I guess I can’t blame the University Police if I don’t feel safe. They are underdogs in the world of law enforcement. But, as a suggestion, parking tickets should be the least of your worries when it comes to protecting the welfare of Loyola’s student body.
