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Chaos Theory and Organizational Crisis: A Theoretical Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the New Orleans Police Department During Hurricane Katrina

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Abstract

The Hurricane Katrina disaster presented the first responder agencies of New Orleans with an extraordinary set of circumstances. Although all first responder operations were hampered by the disaster, the police department’s struggles were made most visible in the media. This article examines the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the organizational functions of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) during and immediately after the disaster using chaos theory as a model for analyzing the crisis faced by the department. Chaos theory has implications for a variety of features that are essential to organizational functions and management behavior that are relevant to first responder agencies. Review of the challenges faced by NOPD has implications for preparedness plans for other first responder agencies.

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Notes

  1. Review of archival data revealed that most of the officers reported to duty on the first day of the disaster. However, in the days that followed, some of the officers left for 24 to 48 h to assist their family members who did not evacuate the city prior to the storm. Other officers left for up to five or more days to check on family members who were evacuated out of the city after the storm. NOPD charged officers with post abandonment if they did not have formal permission to leave their assigned post. According to NOPD protocols during a hurricane, only the Superintendent or a Deputy Superintendent can give an officer permission to leave his or her post during a hurricane or disaster. The officers who were accused of abandoning their posts were categorized based on the degree of their infraction; those whose actions were considered to be most egregious were fired from the department, while others were suspended without pay for up to four months. Eventually 51 NOPD employees were fired - 45 officers and six civilian employees - for post abandonment before or after Hurricane Katrina (MSNBC, 2005).

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Acknowledgments

This project was made possible through funds provided by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response.

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Correspondence to Terri M. Adams.

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Adams, T.M., Stewart, L.D. Chaos Theory and Organizational Crisis: A Theoretical Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the New Orleans Police Department During Hurricane Katrina. Public Organiz Rev 15, 415–431 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-014-0284-9

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