Law Enforcement Officer Experiences in a Pre-Impact Hurricane Evacuation

Law enforcement is critical to effective evacuations. The events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have demonstrated the complex nature of large-scale population movements from potential impact zones. This research focuses on the support experience of law enforcement officers during the Hurricane Rita evacuation in Texas. A mailed questionnaire was administered to a random sample of officers working in coastal jurisdictions. SPSS 12.0 was used for analysis. The findings suggest that department size is important to the provision of officer support during a mass evacuation. Of particular issue was the lack of support available from other officers and the loss of contact with dispatch in smaller law enforcement agencies. These issues point to problems with communication even when infrastructure damage does not occur. More research is needed and policy and planning efforts need to continue to address communication and support issues for law enforcement officers and other emergency responders.