Eddie Compass

Eddie Compass
Chief of Police of the New Orleans Police Department
In office
May 25, 2002  September 27, 2005
Preceded byRichard Pennington
Succeeded byWarren Riley

Edwin P. Compass, III is a former Chief of Police of the New Orleans Police Department. He resigned as Chief of Police on September 27, 2005.

Compass, who earlier said he was organizing a tribunal to handle the cases of 249 officers who left their posts without permission during Hurricane Katrina, did not give any reason for his resignation. Compass' resignation followed a few days after an emergency injunction was handed down, prohibiting him “from confiscating lawfully-possessed firearms from citizens ... “ Compass, who has been nicknamed "AWOL" by his former colleagues, has declared that he was forced to resign his post.

His actions subsequently led to the passage of the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act.