the Evil Line

Let's check in with the local news in Louisiana for the week, shall we?

On October 5, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle was arrested for bribery. He is accused of taking $30,000 in bribes from developer Aaron Bennett for steering construction contracts his way.

On October 6, Michael Karl Davis of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office was arrested for identity theft and fraud.

On October 7, Turkey Creek Police Chief Robert Moreau was arrested for theft. The details of this one are fun:

An investigation revealed the police chief stole items from a store and then returned the items without a receipt in order to get a gift card, which he then used to purchase guns and ammunition, Hammons said.

“All of this was done while he was wearing his uniform,” Hammons said.

Also on October 7, the former city prosecutor for my own fair city of Baton Rouge, Flitcher Bell, was permanently disbarred by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Bell received at least $30,000 in bribes for "fixing" traffic tickets.

One lesson, I guess, is that you shouldn't trust somebody who has an "i" in their name where you expect an "e" (Jiff Hingle and Flitcher Bell are both spelled correctly above). But there's another lesson:

“When the question is raised, with an African-American congregation or a constituency, whether they trust the Police Department, no one raises their hand,” White said. “That, in itself, is indicative of a problem, and we have got to win the trust. We have got to win the trust of that community.”

That is from an article from the Baton Rouge paper which carries the headline "Police lack city’s trust." Really? Shocking. I wonder why no one trusts the police?