The News Room [News Release]
Sheriff thanks all who assisted in Hurricane relief effort
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Wayne County effort receives national attention |
For its speed, as much as for its effectiveness, the effort led by Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans to assist Hurricane Katrina victims, including the New Orleans Police Department, has put Detroit and Wayne County in the national spotlight in a positive way.
Evans was one of few law enforcement officials that acted swiftly with supplies and officers to the Gulf Coast in the days after Katrina struck, while others were still in the planning process.
"For me, there was no question about whether we should go," Evans said. "We received requests from law enforcement officials in the affected areas and we could see people being washed off of rooftops in New Orleans. We couldn't wait for approvals."
While Evans appreciates the attention he and his officers have received, he is quick to point out that the relief effort was really a team effort.
"So much of what we were able to accomplish would not have been possible without so many people stepping up to the plate," Evans said. "In just over 24 hours, we were able to assemble a team of 33 officers, six tractor trailers filled with food, bottled water, medical supplies, clothing and more that we escorted down to Mobile, Alabama and the Red Cross Relief Center in Baton Rouge. I've never seen anything like it."
Among the many that contributed, Evans singled out numerous individuals and organizations, including: the Teamsters and Boulevard & Trumbull Towing, which provided trucks and drivers; Big Boy restaurants and Greater Grace Temple, which collected much of the donated food; Walt Michal's RV center, which provided four RVs for officers to travel and sleep in; Hart Medical Service, which provided Emergency Medical staff; and Steve's Soul Food, which provided quality home cooked meals to relief workers.
"Unless you were there, you can't imaging the impact that these combined efforts had," Evans said. "From the hundreds of victims who were fed and clothed to the decimated New Orleans Police Department and others, people around the country are marveling at what this group of Metro Detroiters was able to accomplish in such a short period of time."
And, of course, there are the deputies, who had the toughest work of all. For nearly a week, Wayne County Sheriff's Deputies went door to door, literally saving lives, and in some cases, finding bodies. They were able to convince several people, many of them elderly, frail and dehydrated, to leave their homes and be brought to safety. Many had resisted because they were afraid of the unknown. Others would not leave without their pets.
"Our officers showed uncommon compassion for these people and did whatever it took to convince them to come with them," Evans said. "In one case, they pulled up a 73-year-old man's carpet by hand because he didn't want to come back and see that it had been ruined by floodwater. In another case, they arranged for an animal control van to take the homeowners 15 pets to safety."
Evans is particularly proud of how each of his officers responded to the disaster. "We had a very diverse group. They were male and female, white and African American, young and not-so-young. The entire time, they worked together perfectly as a unified team for 16 hours a day. I couldn't be more proud of each of them, this department or this region for stepping up the way they did."
Wayne County Hurricane Relief By the Numbers
(Who donated what)
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- Teamsters Union – Four tractor-trailers and six drivers
- Boulevard & Trumbull Towing – Two tractor-trailers and two drivers
- Walt Michal's RV Center – Four RVs at greatly reduced cost
- Big Boy Restaurants – Enough food donated by its customers to fill three tractor-trailers. On a second trip, Big Boy filled two more trailers with donated food
- Hart Medical Service – Three ambulances and five Emergency Medical Technicians
- Greater Grace Temple – Three rental trucks filled with food donated by church congregants and friends.
- Steve's Soul Food Restaurant – Use of Steve's portable restaurant, along with food and workers to feed New Orleans relief workers.
- Cities of Grosse Pointe Woods, Taylor and Livonia and New Fellowship Chapel (Detroit) – established drop off locations for food donations
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