[StBernard] NOPD and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff under federal investigation

[Westley Annis]

NOPD and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff under federal investigation
by Laura Maggi and Bob Warren 
Tuesday June 24, 2008, 5:58 PM
Officers within the New Orleans Police Department and St. Bernard Parish
sheriff's office traffic divisions are the subjects of a federal
investigation into required off-duty police escorts of oversized vehicles
traveling within their parishes. 

Bob Young, the head of the NOPD's public information office, said
Superintendent Warren Riley is "aware of the investigation and has been
cooperating with the federal government in their investigation." Young said
he understand that a couple NOPD officers have received subpoenas to appear
before a federal grand jury in New Orleans. 

The federal probe stems from a complaint filed with the inspector general's
office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about police escorts
required for FEMA trailers being removed from the two parishes, said St.
Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens. "We are working with them to determine
if there are any iregularities with those escorts," Stephens said. 

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten declined to comment on any federal investigation or
grand jury probe.

In both St. Bernard and Orleans parishes, police escorts are required by
local rules that mandate the driver of a vehicle with an oversized load pay
for the police to direct them through the parish. 

The St. Bernard Parish Council in late 2007 enacted an ordinance dealing
with the requirement, said Stephens. In New Orleans, a city ordinance allows
the Department of Public Works to determine when a police escort is
required. 

The public works department requires a motorcycle escort from the NOPD's
traffic division for all loads that are larger than 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6
inches tall or 90 feet long, said Robert Mendoza, the head of the agency.
NOPD escorts can also be required on smaller loads, if they are deemed
necessary, he said. 

Off-duty officers in both St. Bernard and Orleans parishes directly take
their payment for the escort work from the driver, often in cash, said
people who've used the service. Both departments require the escorts not
only on local roads, but also the federal highway, according to several
representatives of manufactured housing companies. 

The manager of a Prairieville manufactured housing company said her drivers
are able to pull their loads down Interstate 10 with only the help of only a
private escort truck until they reach the Orleans Parish line. At the
I-10/610 split, the driver stops to pick up an NOPD motorcycle escort of at
least two officers, which will take the driver to the parish line, said
Brenda Prejean, manager of Rollin' Homes. 

If the house is being delivered to St. Bernard or Plaquemines parishes, the
driver then waits for a St. Bernard sheriff deputy to pick then up on 510,
Prejean said.