Video of Rogue Philly Narcotics Unit in Action

Radley Balko | April 6, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a rogue narcotics unit within the Philadelphia police department that was terrorizing grocery stores owned by immigrants. All of the raided store owners told a similar story: The unit raided under the pretense that the stores were selling small plastic bags commonly used by drug dealers to package narcotics. The cops then disconnected the stores' security cameras. Once the cameras were disconnected, they then looted the stores of snack food, cigarettes, and cash. According to store owners, the official police reports often underreported the amount of cashed seized from the stores.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has since published accounts of more raids. And the Philadelphia Daily News has posted video from one of the raids, (video doesn't seem to be working, but you can watch at the link, or read the transcript here). The officers seem particularly concerned about whether the video from the cameras can be viewed outside the store, and where the video is stored. In the story from last month, at least one store owner told the Daily News that the police returned to his store in a second raid solely to confiscate the computer that hosted the video of them disconnecting the video cameras during the first raid. These cops obviously didn't want a video record of what they were doing, at least one they couldn't confiscate.

According to press accounts, the warrants weren't obtained to search for actual illicit drugs, but merely for the open sale of plastic zip-lock bags, which aren't illegal by themselves, and have perfectly legitimate uses. It's a ridiculous law that requires mind reading on the part of investigators—the bags become illegal to sell only once the merchant suspects his customer might use them for illegal purposes. (It's the same odd concept of criminality that led to the bizarre arrests of several dozen Indian convenience store workers in Georgia in 2005.)

Meanwhile, the head of this particular narcotics unit, Officer Jeffrey Cujdik, is coming under fire in other cases, too. One of his longtime informants has come forward to say Cujdik routinely lied on warrant affidavits and police reports, including describing controlled drug buys that never happened. One of those cases resulted in a botched raid on Lady Gonzalez, who alleges one of Cujdik's officers sexually assaulted her during the raid.

Cujdik has since been stripped of his gun and badge, but he remains on paid desk duty.

Comments

|4.6.09 @ 3:19PM|#

raivo pommer-www.google.ee
[e-mail]

COMMERZBANK in Jahre 2009

Die Regierung sei sich einig, "dass wir ganz sicher mit der EU-Kommission so schnell wie möglich eine Lösung finden werden, die zugänglich und zuträglich für die Zukunft der Commerzbank ist", sagte der Sprecher des Bundesfinanzministeriums, Torsten Albig, am Montag in Berlin.

Der Bund half der Commerzbank Ende 2008 mit rund 8 Milliarden Euro und im Januar mit zehn Milliarden Euro, um die Übernahme der Dresdner Bank sowie weitere Belastungen abzusichern. Im Gegenzug wurde eine Staatsbeteiligung von 25 Prozent plus eine Aktie vereinbart.

Die europäischen Wettbewerbshüter prüfen die staatliche Hilfe, obwohl sie den deutschen Banken-Rettungsplan bereits gebilligt hatten. Nach früherer Einschätzung aus der EU-Kommission müssen die Staatshilfen für die Commerzbank "im Prinzip" nicht in Brüssel überprüft werden.
Vertrauensbildung ist "Schall und Rauch"

Am Wochenende hatte sich an den staatlichen Finanzspritzen für die Commerzbank ein offener Streit zwischen der Bundesregierung und der EU-Kommission entzündet. Im Kern wirft Berlin Brüssel vor, dass man einerseits zwar in der aktuellen Finanzkrise die Geldinstitute vor dem Kollaps bewahren will, sich andererseits aber bei der Prüfung von Hilfen im Einzelfall so viel Zeit lasse, dass das betroffene Institut am Ende doch in Gefahr gerät.

Die in der Öffentlichkeit "fast inflationär bemühte Kategorie der Vertrauensbildung" stelle sich damit "letztlich als Schall und Rauch heraus", rügte Bundesfinanzminister Peer Steinbrück am Samstag nach zweitägigen Beratungen der EU-Ressortchefs in Prag.

Klaus|4.6.09 @ 3:32PM|#

@raivo pommer-www.google.ee

Essen poop, Arschloch.

JB|4.6.09 @ 3:42PM|#

I'm surprised there aren't more cases where people videotape the torturing and execution of corrupt cops.

A few of those would serve to keep the public servants more in line.

|4.6.09 @ 3:46PM|#

This is what happens when you try to criminalize everything tangentially related to a crime(in this case, selling drugs)in the hopes that you'll be able to make something stick to a suspect. It doesn't take long for innocent people to start getting screwed, either by thugs who a cover to rip people off, or by a system that rewards statistics.

|4.6.09 @ 3:55PM|#

shaking with rage. WTF..

|4.6.09 @ 3:57PM|#

To the cop defenders out there, I would contrast this video with the cops in Binghamton, New York arriving at the scene of those weekend's mass shooting and waiting 42 minutes to go in the building. Cops are wonderful at terrorizing unarmed people and shooting innocent dogs. Confronting armed lunatics and actually protecting the public, not so much.

|4.6.09 @ 4:00PM|#

To the cop defenders out there, I would contrast this video with the cops in Binghamton, New York arriving at the scene of those weekend's mass shooting and waiting 42 minutes to go in the building.

I will never forget the footage of the cops at Columbine cowering behind their cars and refusing to go into the school. That may have been my turning point as far as losing any respect for cop culture.

|4.6.09 @ 4:02PM|#

Cujdik has since been stripped of his gun and badge, but he remains on paid desk duty.

Why is he still on the payroll?

If we must keep paying him, howsabout making his job duties walking around outside the courthouse and municipal building wearing one of those sandwich boards: "I am a corrupt narcotics cop."

|4.6.09 @ 4:08PM|#

"I am a corrupt narcotics cop."

Far too many words.

victory|4.6.09 @ 4:11PM|#

So, is Act 120 municipal police officer training in Philly just sitting around watching reruns of "The Shield"

|4.6.09 @ 4:12PM|#

corrupt narcotics cop

essentially 3x redundant

|4.6.09 @ 4:12PM|#

RC,

When I lived in OKC, they did the same thing at the Edmond Post office masacre. The cops basically waited outside until the guy was done killing people and had killed himself and went in to pick up the bodies. Columbine was particularly agregious. Any cop not willing to confront an armed punk is not worth spit.

ktc2|4.6.09 @ 4:19PM|#

Wait, I thought you said this was "Rogue Philly Narcotics Unit"? This isn't rogue behavior it's SOP for philly narcotics units.

darkrail|4.6.09 @ 4:33PM|#

I like that the video was taken on September 11th.

This must be how the cops celebrate the anniversary. Herd up some immigrants and make 'em pay. It's Freedom Day!

Taktix®|4.6.09 @ 4:43PM|#

shaking with rage. WTF..

Second...

Kolohe|4.6.09 @ 4:56PM|#

To the cop defenders out there, I would contrast this video with the cops in Binghamton, New York arriving at the scene of those weekend's mass shooting

Far from a cop defender but I would contrast that with the Pitt officers who responded immediately to a domestic disturbance call.

And since we're talking about current events, I would contrast both of those with the Oakland case, where the motorcycle cops also got ambushed, but the SWAT cops later on got killed because IMO they went in too quickly with faulty intelligence and for no good reason.

That said, the philly thing pisses me off as well. But I'm unwilling to paint with as broad a brush as some, because it's no different than saying all National Guard members suck because of Abu Grhaib.

ChrisO|4.6.09 @ 5:03PM|#

Why is he still on the payroll?

It's the Union Way!!

|4.6.09 @ 5:03PM|#

"""Cujdik has since been stripped of his gun and badge, but he remains on paid desk duty. """

No penalty like a paid vacation.

Paul|4.6.09 @ 5:20PM|#

I will never forget the footage of the cops at Columbine cowering behind their cars and refusing to go into the school. That may have been my turning point as far as losing any respect for cop culture.

Word.

Elemenope|4.6.09 @ 5:20PM|#

"I am a corrupt narcotics cop."

Far too many words.

True. "Kick me" would suffice.

Paul|4.6.09 @ 5:21PM|#

What's the quote? When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

|4.6.09 @ 5:23PM|#

"And since we're talking about current events, I would contrast both of those with the Oakland case, where the motorcycle cops also got ambushed, but the SWAT cops later on got killed because IMO they went in too quickly with faulty intelligence and for no good reason."


But the Oakland case differs from the Binghamton case in that it involved a fellow cop being killed. Cops are much more willing to risk their lives in pursuit of a cop killer than they are someone who is killing civilians.

As far as the risk of going in without intelligence, the police jobs is to protect civilians and to die doing so if they have to. They cannot risk civilian lives for perfect intelligence. When they arrive on the scene where someone is in a building killing people, they have to go in and risk their lives. That is their job. If they get killed, well that is sad but ultimately that is what they get paid for.

Kolohe|4.6.09 @ 5:34PM|#

John-
You go into a place blind guns a-blazing, lots more cops and civilians are going to get killed (as an aside this seems to be the modus operandi of the Russian anti-terrorist commandos)

Come on, you're in the Army aren't (weren't) you? You know this.

Cabeza De Vaca|4.6.09 @ 5:58PM|#

"(as an aside this seems to be the modus operandi of the Russian anti-terrorist commandos)"

No they prefer to gas everyone to death then go in.

|4.6.09 @ 6:09PM|#

Cujdik has since been stripped of his gun and badge, but he remains on paid desk duty.

And the union will defend him at least until conviction. That's what unions do and in the private sector it is a good thing. Government employees should not belong to unions.

Seems as good a time as any to post this -

REMEMBER KATHRYN JOHNSTON!

|4.6.09 @ 8:15PM|#

"John-
You go into a place blind guns a-blazing, lots more cops and civilians are going to get killed (as an aside this seems to be the modus operandi of the Russian anti-terrorist commandos)"

Just because you go in doesn't mean you go in guns blazing. But you sure as hell go in there. You can't just stand around and wait to pick up the bodies.

perilisk|4.6.09 @ 11:32PM|#

"Far from a cop defender but I would contrast that with the Pitt officers who responded immediately to a domestic disturbance call."

Not sure how it's a defense anyway. I'm sure cops would have been all up in Columbine too if they thought that they were just there because some teenagers were peeing on the carpet.

victory|4.7.09 @ 12:10AM|#

Cops in this town have a well earned reputation http://www.philly.com/philly/news/42513772.html

Of course, the FOP is out reminding everyone that every profession has its bad apples. The difference is that in the case of bad apples in any other profession, I'm not compelled to deal with them. If a car mechanic is a thief i can choose not patronize his business, if my doctor kills me, he doesn't get three weeks paid vacation on my dime.

LarryA|4.7.09 @ 12:41AM|#

If we must keep paying him, howsabout making his job duties walking around outside the courthouse and municipal building wearing one of those sandwich boards: "I am a corrupt narcotics cop."

I'd suggest making him a clerk in a convenience store.

I will never forget the footage of the cops at Columbine cowering behind their cars and refusing to go into the school.

OTOH Columbine was one of the first really serious active shootings. In 1999 waiting for SWAT was the LEO standard operating procedure for a hostage standoff. The cops on scene had no way of knowing that an active shooter requires a much more aggressive approach. After ten years, they should have learned better.

OTOOH, people who run colleges and universities are still stuck in 1999.

|4.7.09 @ 3:29AM|#

OTOOH, people who run colleges and universities are still stuck in 1999 1969.

FTFY.

Bronwyn|4.7.09 @ 8:20AM|#

What country are we living in?!?

|4.14.09 @ 8:58AM|#

raivo pommer-www.google.ee
[e-mail]

Europe's largest bank, HSBC Holdings,


confirmed on Monday it was considering selling three of its major office buildings and said it
had received interest from potential buyers.

HSBC, which recently raised nearly $19 billion in a rights issue, said it may sell and lease-back office buildings in New York, Paris and London, including its headquarters at Canary Wharf.

London's Sunday Telegraph reported that HSBC was considering selling three of its biggest office buildings to raise 2.7 billion pounds ($3.98 billion).

"We are taking a look at the market, yes," spokesman David Hall said in Hong Kong.

"There are people interested in buying at an appropriate price," Hall said.

He declined to give further details.

HSBC bought back its building at Canary Wharf for 838 million pounds from ailing Spanish property firm Metrovacesa at the end of last year after the Spanish firm failed to refinance a loan secured on the building.

Globally, banks battered by the financial crisis have been looking to shed non-core assets in order to raise capital and improve their balance sheets.

"HSBC has just raised funds from a rights issue and the possible sale of offices could further boost its cash level and thus benefit the bank in its future acquisitions," said Alex Tang, head of research at Core Pacific-Yamaichi International.

The bank, which planned to shut most of its U.S. consumer lending business, said last month that it was ready for acquisitions in its traditional stronghold of Asia where many banks are pulling out to focus on core markets.