What Not To Wear

Paige's Pink Dress, New Orleans 2005

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

No, I am not speaking about the popular television show where two hosts make fun of a person's wardrobe and then go about re-dressing them. This is a story about a retiring New Orleans police officer , Sgt. Bobby Guidry , who on his last day of service decided (for unknown reasons - maybe nostalgia?) to wear his powder blue uniform shirt rather than the new black one.

This sounds like big stuff, high crimes? Well his superior launched an investigation , to be conducted by the "Public Integrity Bureau ". The whole situation could have cost him an honorable end to his career , a blemish on his record , effecting his pension and maybe further law enforcement work outside of and beyond NOPD. Fortunately, somebody at HDQ. had the common sense to rest this case , by simple citing the incident in his service record. Amen for Sgt. Guidry.

This story which I found on line at http://www.nola.com/, titled "Shirt controversy may be ironed out" , by Laura Maggi / Times-Picayune July 11, 2008 , really concerns me! At a time when the New Orleans Police Dept is seriously under-manned , still needing a loan of 300 La National Guardsman to help bolster the ranks, that the powers that be would bother with such an incidence is silly!

Wake up folks, use some common sense and focus on real problems , serious crime , and real issues , finding capable young police recruits! If I were a young person, looking for a career in law enforcement and I read a story like this, it would make me consider another organization besides NOPD.

On lesser but still practical matters, why is the police dept. changing uniforms anyway? So all the shirts that rank and file wore now need to be replaced? Last time I checked, these folks were not exactly bringing home big pay checks which would justify a brand new wardrobe?Also, to go from powder blue to black shirts in New Orleans? You ever ride in the summer in New Orleans and the car had black interior? I'm thinking heat magnet! This is all about common sense , which it appears the heat of New Orleans is affecting? Besides, I always thought only the bad guys wore black?

Can we nominate the New Orleans Police Dept. to appear on “What Not to Wear”? I think they give all their guests a new wardrobe allowance…that might help recruiting?