N.O. Police Say They Are Regaining ControlAssociated Press
ERIN McCLAM
September 10, 2005The first street-by-street sweep of this swamped city revealed far fewer corpses than originally feared, and the police chief said Saturday his hard-pressed force was regaining control despite a shortage of roughly 300 officers.
"We're much more organized at this point," said Police Chief Eddie Compass. "We have our logistics in order and the patrols are going very well."
Compass said more than 200 people had been arrested in recent days and were being held in a makeshift jail.
Of a force of 1,750, Compass said he is short about 300 officers, but he had offered no details about where they were or why they were not available for duty.
"I can't worry about that now," he said. "We're doing the job we have to do."
Mayor Ray Nagin and others had predicted up to 10,000 deaths in New Orleans, but that number appeared less likely after a count on Friday, said retired Marine Col. Terry Ebbert, the city's homeland security chief.
"Some of the catastrophic deaths that some people predicted may not have occurred," Ebbert said.
He declined to give a revised estimate, but said: "Numbers so far are relatively minor as compared to the dire projections of 10,000."
Also Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projected it will take a month to dry out New Orleans, which had been 80 percent covered following the storm and levee breaches. The Corps previously said it could take 80 days.
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