Michael Olshefke
09-27-2006, 09:52 AM
I recently came across your website after a general search about the NOPD. After reading the president’s letter on the homepage, I felt compelled to join and make this post. I am a police commander in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb about 20 miles north of Chicago. I was part of a task force of 300 Illinois police officers that responded to Louisiana following the aftermath of Katrina. I was in charge of a team of seven officers from various agencies around our state. While we were technically sworn as, and assigned to the LSP, we spent several days assigned to the third district of the NOPD (with Paisant’s Pirates working out of a few cubicles at the Delta Queen Steamboat Co.) to assist in any way possible.
During that time, I met many good officers. Among them, Sgt. Mike Brenkle, Sgt. Jim Anderson, and Officer Eric Bear (eighth district). I wish I could recall everyone’s name, but a lot of interaction was just momentary. I also recently met a retired NOPD officer, Det. Mike Fejka (homicide). I had never been to New Orleans or met any of NOPD’s finest prior to Katrina. However afterwards, I can honestly say that I was proud and honored to work with the men and women of the NOPD. I only wish we could have stayed longer and helped more. In light of the amount of devastation to your city, the low pay and benefits, and the personal loss and sacrifices of the officers, in my eyes the members of the NOPD are heroes. During my time in Louisiana, I never heard a negative word from a member of the NOPD about how things were transpiring or the conditions they were subjected to. They just continued to do what it took to get the job done regardless of hours, lack of time off, lack of pay (or no pay at all) and despite what personal tragedies they may have suffered as a result of the hurricane.
The president’s letter on the web page states that you don’t expect people to be wearing NOPD shirts and drinking from NOPD coffee mugs like they did for NYPD after 9/11. I disagree. I think that people should. The NOPD has suffered a great tragedy and continues to work day in and day out in deplorable conditions to bring law enforcement services to their city. The people of New Orleans, Louisiana and the rest of our Country should be publicly supporting local law enforcement in your area. They should be speaking about the positive too, rather than just the negative. It’s a fact that every department has a few officers that should probably not be officers, and those officers tend to become a representation of the department. The media has a lot to do with this perception. The will print whatever generates ratings. And unfortunately allegations of negative police work get published without even so much as verifying facts (I speak from experience; just do a search on Highland Park Police to learn how our reputation was destroyed by allegations from a disgruntled officer). Trust me, police officers as well as a lot of the public understand that the media may not be entirely impartial in their reporting. It is sad that the media won’t report on the positive actions of the police (or if they do, it is some tiny article in the middle of the paper rather than front page news), it could do a lot for community/police relations.
My ultimate point really is this; those of us in law enforcement from around the Country that came down to assist with the law enforcement relief effort in New Orleans worked in very bad conditions for very long hours in unfamiliar areas. We saw some very bad stuff during the time we were there. Our communities described us as role models and praised us for an unselfish act in volunteering to respond to Katrina. However, our families were not displaced (or worse yet injured or killed), our homes and personal belongings were not destroyed, and ultimately, we got to go home. The men and women of the NOPD did not have a choice (well I suppose a few chose to go AWOL), they were thrust into a situation where it was (and I apologize for this analogy) “sink or swim”. They did (and continue to do) a job under the most demanding of conditions. You are all true heroes. Again, I just want to say that I am honored to have met some of you and proud to have been able assist you during that time of tragedy. If any of you have the opportunity to visit the Chicago area, please let me know so I can buy you a beer.
I have tried to attach a photo that was taken when I was in New Orleans. If it worked, the people in the photo are (l-r) Sgt. Ken Sneed (Southern Illinois University Department of Public Safety), Sgt, Jim Anderson (NOPD), Sgt. Mike Brenkle (NOPD), me, and Corporal Greg Sanders (Southern Illinois University DPS).
During that time, I met many good officers. Among them, Sgt. Mike Brenkle, Sgt. Jim Anderson, and Officer Eric Bear (eighth district). I wish I could recall everyone’s name, but a lot of interaction was just momentary. I also recently met a retired NOPD officer, Det. Mike Fejka (homicide). I had never been to New Orleans or met any of NOPD’s finest prior to Katrina. However afterwards, I can honestly say that I was proud and honored to work with the men and women of the NOPD. I only wish we could have stayed longer and helped more. In light of the amount of devastation to your city, the low pay and benefits, and the personal loss and sacrifices of the officers, in my eyes the members of the NOPD are heroes. During my time in Louisiana, I never heard a negative word from a member of the NOPD about how things were transpiring or the conditions they were subjected to. They just continued to do what it took to get the job done regardless of hours, lack of time off, lack of pay (or no pay at all) and despite what personal tragedies they may have suffered as a result of the hurricane.
The president’s letter on the web page states that you don’t expect people to be wearing NOPD shirts and drinking from NOPD coffee mugs like they did for NYPD after 9/11. I disagree. I think that people should. The NOPD has suffered a great tragedy and continues to work day in and day out in deplorable conditions to bring law enforcement services to their city. The people of New Orleans, Louisiana and the rest of our Country should be publicly supporting local law enforcement in your area. They should be speaking about the positive too, rather than just the negative. It’s a fact that every department has a few officers that should probably not be officers, and those officers tend to become a representation of the department. The media has a lot to do with this perception. The will print whatever generates ratings. And unfortunately allegations of negative police work get published without even so much as verifying facts (I speak from experience; just do a search on Highland Park Police to learn how our reputation was destroyed by allegations from a disgruntled officer). Trust me, police officers as well as a lot of the public understand that the media may not be entirely impartial in their reporting. It is sad that the media won’t report on the positive actions of the police (or if they do, it is some tiny article in the middle of the paper rather than front page news), it could do a lot for community/police relations.
My ultimate point really is this; those of us in law enforcement from around the Country that came down to assist with the law enforcement relief effort in New Orleans worked in very bad conditions for very long hours in unfamiliar areas. We saw some very bad stuff during the time we were there. Our communities described us as role models and praised us for an unselfish act in volunteering to respond to Katrina. However, our families were not displaced (or worse yet injured or killed), our homes and personal belongings were not destroyed, and ultimately, we got to go home. The men and women of the NOPD did not have a choice (well I suppose a few chose to go AWOL), they were thrust into a situation where it was (and I apologize for this analogy) “sink or swim”. They did (and continue to do) a job under the most demanding of conditions. You are all true heroes. Again, I just want to say that I am honored to have met some of you and proud to have been able assist you during that time of tragedy. If any of you have the opportunity to visit the Chicago area, please let me know so I can buy you a beer.
I have tried to attach a photo that was taken when I was in New Orleans. If it worked, the people in the photo are (l-r) Sgt. Ken Sneed (Southern Illinois University Department of Public Safety), Sgt, Jim Anderson (NOPD), Sgt. Mike Brenkle (NOPD), me, and Corporal Greg Sanders (Southern Illinois University DPS).