We’ve got us a real rogues’ gallery: jail guards, FBI agents, deputies, internal affairs officers, a deputy police chief.
In Fresno, California, the Fresno deputy police chief was arrested last Thursday as part of a federal drug conspiracy investigation. Deputy Chief Keith Foster, 51, went down after a year-long undercover investigation by the FBI and BATF. Few details are known except for the charges: possession and distribution of heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana. He has been placed on administrative leave.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, a Catoosa County sheriff’s deputy was arrested last Thursday after an acquaintance called police to say he had stolen prescription drugs from him. Deputy Joshua Wilson is charged with possession of hydrocodone and tramadol, unauthorized distribution of a controlled substance, and violating the oath of an officer. He had the drugs in his vehicle when he was pulled over in a traffic stop.
In Prescott Valley, Arizona, a former Prescott Valley Police commander was arrested last Thursday on charges he was stealing drugs discarded by the public as part of a drug take-back program. Commander Arthur Eskew, a 20-year veteran, resigned in January after a motion-activated still camera and hidden video camera in the evidence room caught him pocketing pills. Now he faces criminal charges, although those haven’t been specified.
In North Haverhill, New Hampshire, a former Grafton County jail guard was arrested last Thursday on charges he delivered heroin to prisoners. Michael Baraa, 29, faces two charges, but they weren’t specified.
In Huntsville, Tennessee, a former Scott County sheriff’s deputy was arrested Tuesday for allegedly breaking into the evidence room and stealing drugs. Cody Scott Yancy, 25, is charged with three counts of burglary, theft under $500, possession of burglary tools, official misconduct, tampering with evidence, and two counts of vandalism under $500. He was fired after an investigation into the thefts last fall.
In Miami, a former NYPD officer pleaded guilty last Friday to traveling to Florida and providing security for a $200,000 cocaine deal that turned out to be a federal drug sting. Phillip LeRoy, 28, copped to one count of drug trafficking conspiracy. He’s looking at 10 years to life in federal prison.
In Washington, Pennsylvania, a former state court judge pleaded guilty last Friday to stealing cocaine that he had ordered police to keep in his chambers instead of the evidence room. Former Washington County Judge Paul Pozonsky copped to theft by unlawful taking, obstruction of the administration of law, and misapplication of entrusted property. In return, prosecutors dropped one felony and one misdemeanor count. Pozonsky supposedly took the drug for his own use. He’s looking at up to two years in jail when sentenced in July.
In Washington, DC, a former FBI agent pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to stealing heroin from evidence bags. Matthew Lowry, 33, admitted stealing the smack and using it himself, as well as trying to replace it with other substances and falsifying records to hide his misdeeds. He said he had been strung out on pain pills. He copped to 38 counts of obstruction of justice, 13 counts of conversion of property, and 13 counts of heroin possession. Because of Lowy’s hand in the cookie jar, prosecutors have had to throw out dozens of drug cases.
In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a former Dona Ana County jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to distribute heroin, cocaine, and meth within the jail. Francisco Balderrama, 27, copped to conspiracy to distribute narcotics and providing contraband in a prison facility. He’s now looking at up to 20 years in federal prison.
In Miami, a former Miami-Dade police internal affairs lieutenant pleaded guilty Tuesday to working with cocaine smugglers to smuggle guns through airport security. Ralph Mata worked in the department’s internal affairs division, but helped cocaine smugglers get guns through Miami International Airport, helped plot the execution of two rival drug dealers, provided secret intelligence to the group, and suggested ways to better smuggle dope through the city. He copped to three counts, including aiding and abetting a narcotics conspiracy. He’s looking at 10 years to life in federal prison.
In Birmingham, Alabama, a former Winston County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced last Friday to nearly four years in federal prison for threatening a woman with an arrest warrant unless she agreed to cook meth for him. Grady Concord, 42, also supplied the woman with the precursor ingredient pseudoephedrine, which he stole from the department evidence room. He copped to one count of manufacturing meth on a premise where children were present.
In Bridgeton, New Jersey, a former Bayside State Prison guard was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in state prison for selling drugs to inmates. Nazir Bey, 30, was found guilty by a jury of second-degree official misconduct for selling heroin to an inmate at the prison.
In Titusville, Florida, a former Titusville police officer was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for arranging drug deals. Richard Irizarry, a five-year veteran of the force admitted to giving out information on his department’s drug investigations to traffickers in return for cash. He was convicted in January of attempting to aid and abet the distribution of cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution and using a telephone to facilitate drug distribution.
Most of these transgressors will get a “paid vacation” and a slap on the wrist, if any punishment at all…they are usually “above the law”…
There is much angst and consternation against prosecutors and grand juries who refuse to bring charges against police officers, even when incontrovertible evidence is presented. Even with incontrovertible audio and video evidence, prosecutors are loath to prosecute rogue law enforcement personnel.
Let’s examine the reasons why it is so difficult to prosecute thug cops:
Most prosecutors are former police officers or have extensive dealings with police departments and have ongoing relationships with police departments in their respective jurisdictions. They are friendly with the judges in their jurisdictions, as well. This, along with “absolute immunity” makes it easy for them to “cover up” police abuses and behavior. Prosecutors cannot be sued for malfeasance…it takes a judge (who prosecutors are friendly with) to bring charges on a rogue prosecutor (which almost never happens).
In addition, prosecutors guide the actions of grand juries. Prosecutors are not required to introduce any evidence to grand juries, (can and do) easily “whitewash” the actions of rogue cops. On the other hand, prosecutors can (and often do) go after honest citizens who seek justice outside official channels…prosecutors have ultimate power and are not afraid to use it…their immunity sees to that.
Another aspect to a grand jury’s inability to prosecute bad cops is the fear of retribution…cops drive around all day, have nothing but time, have access to various databases, and can easily get the names and addresses of grand jurors…this, in itself can be a powerful deterrent against grand jurors who “want to do the right thing” and prosecute bad cops. There are many cases of cops parking in front of grand jurors’ residences, following them around, and threaten to issue citations to them, in order to “convince” them to “make the right decision”…the “thin blue line” at its worst…
The whole system has to change.
Eliminate absolute and qualified immunity for all public officials. The fear of personal lawsuits would be a powerful deterrent against abuses of the public.
Grand juries must be superior to the prosecutor; ALL evidence must be presented to grand jurors. Failure to do so must be considered a felony and subject prosecutors to prosecution themselves.
No police agency can be allowed to investigate itself. Internal affairs departments must be restricted to minor in-house investigations of behavior between cops. All investigations must be handled by outside agencies, preferably at the state level.
Civilian police review boards must be free of police influence. Members of civilian review boards must have NO ties to police departments. Relatives of police would be prohibited from serving…Recently, the “supreme court” threw police another “bone”. The court ruled that police are not responsible for their actions if they are “ignorant of the law”…now, let’s get this straight–honest citizens cannot use “ignorance of the law” as an excuse, but cops can??
Revolution is sorely needed…..
Eliminate both “qualified immunity” and total immunity” for all public officials.
Require them to purchase “malpractice insurance” the same way medical professionals do. They might be less likely to abuse the citizenry if they knew that their “malpractice insurance” might not cover their actions.
Any awards to mistreated citizens as a result of litigation should be taken from the respective pension fund of the offending official…NOT the taxpayers…
When there is no accountability for the “thin blue line”, all bets are off. When videotaped, unjustified murders “under color of authority” are quashed by police-friendly prosecutors and “rubber stamp” grand juries, this promotes this very violent unjustified action against all “authority”. If the good cops don’t go after the “bad cops”, the good cops will themselves become targets–totally unjustified? Absolutely, YES, but those who are bent on revenge against “the thin blue line” see the uniform and not the person wearing it.
It is long overdue for those in positions of authority to “clean house”–starting with rogue cops. Failure to do so will insure that we see more tragic incidents against ordinary citizens….
The primacy of “officer safety” has led to a mindset that creates police who can be as dangerous to the public as the criminals they are meant to control. Police need to be taught that their primary objective is the protection of the lives of the people they serve. Our troops in foreign lands operate under stricter “rules of engagement” (e.g., can’t fire unless fired upon, a rule that would have preserved the life of a 12 year old boy a couple of weeks ago) than do our domestic police forces.
“Blow back” has arrived with extremely unconscionable and tragic results…
No humans in their right mind want to see anyone lose their life at the hands of criminals of any sort, especially “law enforcement officers”–those who are charged with “keeping the peace”.
It seems that in today’s supercharged climate of “officer safety”, innocent civilian lives have been extinguished, with tragic results.
Part of the “problem” has to do with the elevation of “officer safety”, trumping “citizen safety”. It seems that honest citizens have been relegated to second-class “status”, being expendable whenever a “law enforcement” officer’s “safety” is threatened.
The hypocrisy is so blatant, that even with incontrovertible video and audio evidence, police-friendly prosecutors, along with “rubber stamp” grand juries STILL absolve rogue cops of wrongdoing. The public is not stupid, seeing through the double-standard that presently exists. This, in no certain terms, does not absolve anyone of perpetrating unnecessary violence against “law enforcement”…
The sad part of this whole situation is that when the SHTF, good cops will suffer, as those with “axes to grind” will see only the uniform and will be unable (or even unwilling) to differentiate between the “good” and the “bad”…
Changes in the whole system are sorely needed…non-violent, of course…
It would seem that there is more than enough “dehumanization”, both of cops and citizens, to go around…when there is irrefutable video and audio evidence of misbehavior by “law enforcement” officials against citizens, yet a prosecutor-guided “grand jury” returns a “no bill” and refuses to indict, something is terribly wrong. The general public needs to be given more credit in discerning TRUTH–much of what is “covered-up” by police friendly prosecutors and “rubber stamp” grand juries.
Police have every right to expect to go home every night…there is absolutely no excuse for indiscriminate murder of law enforcement officials.
The sad part of this whole situation is that honest cops (the majority of cops) will be caught up in any violence that occurs. You see, those with an “axe to grind” against police only see the uniform and not the “good” cop behind it…
Balance needs to be restored. No longer should cops be allowed to flout traffic laws with impunity, give each other “professional courtesies”, such as a ride home despite being drunk, instead of a DUI, (that would have an ordinary citizen thrown in jail for)
When the good cops go after the bad cops in their midst, and decide to obey the laws that the rest of us obey, things will be made right…
Anarchyst, seems like you’ve thought about this a lot. I confess I haven’t, thanks for the material. Well done
Well said, Anarchyst. This shit will never change until we demand it with a loud concerted voice. Occupy x 10.
give a psychopath a badge, a gun and the authority to murder…
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/04/new-jersey-cops-tried-confiscating-cameras-after-mauling-man-to-death-with-police-dog/
New Jersey Cops Tried Confiscating Cameras After Mauling Man to Death With Police Dog
According to NBC Philadelphia:
“They punched him, stomped him, kicked him and then they let the dog out of the car,” said Ricardo Garcia. “The dog bit him on his face and around his body. There’s no call for that. Once a man is handcuffed and unconscious, you should have stuck him in the patrol car and take him to the police station. Instead they decided to beat him right here.”
Another witness, Luis Martinez, also insisted White wasn’t doing anything wrong and that the officers used excessive force.
“The other cop let the dog out and they just kept punching him and the dog kept biting him at the same time,” Martinez said. “He was on the floor. Like, he was knocked out.”
A dog is heard barking on a police dispatch recording of the incident.
“118 West Grape,” the dispatcher says in the recording. “Subject…hyperventilating. Officers out.”
An officer is also heard on the recording.
“Slow all units down,” the officer says. “Subject under…tried disarming me…tried to grab my gun.”
Anarchyst, you have some good ideas, but I missed the ONE idea that would solve about 100% of these problems IMMEDIATELY.
MAKE IT LEGAL.
Quit expecting humans to police morality and not become scum themselves. Won’t happen.
Peace to you.