This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

by Phillip Smith
StoptheDrugWar.org
Mar. 05, 2015

This week, the focus is on bad departments. We have two cases where cities and the departments that police them are running into trouble. Let's get to it:

In Detroit, the US Attorney's Office is now investigating the police department's drug unit. Police Chief James Craig said that part of an FBI investigation into the disbanded unit was now under review by federal prosecutors. An related investigation into theft by narcotics officers is being reviewed by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. The unit has since been reconstituted and restructured. "There had been some cultural norms that probably could facilitate or breed criminal misconduct," Craig said. "This is not suggesting that everybody in narcotics was involved because they were not. There were some practices that were allowed that had been historic, that really didn't amount to criminal misconduct, but just poor management practices."

In Schaumberg, Illinois, a 16th lawsuit has been filed against the city and former members of the police department's dope squad. The lawsuit names two former and one current officer who have been linked to a scheme to rip off drug dealers during arrests and sell their goods. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that the officers falsely arrested him and charged him with drug offenses. Facing a lengthy prison sentence, he copped a plea to 11 years in prison, but that conviction was vacated when the Schaumberg officers were charged in connection with the drug scheme. The city has already settled seven of the wrongful arrest lawsuits for an average of $19,000 each. The police officers are now in prison.