The New York City Mob

Not the Gambinos.  NYPD. 

Last year, New York police officers were seen dancing in the streets just before arresting four men in a city nightclub on charges of selling $100 worth of cocaine.  It took six months and the men's life savings, but their names were finally cleared when prosecutors took the unusual step of announcing in court that the men had committed no crime.

That's because club surveillance video shows that the undercover cops had no contact with the accused men in the two hours they were in the club.

Now, club owner Eduardo Espinoza says the police are retaliating against him.

Espinoza said he thinks police are retaliating against him because of a strange phone call he received shortly before the harassment began.

A man who identified himself as the officer who made the drug arrest in his club demanded to know if Espinoza had taped the events of that night.

"I said I already gave it to the defendants," Espinoza said, "He said, 'Oh s--t.' He hung up."

Espinoza had received just two summonses in the two-and-a-half years he owned the club prior to turning over the videotapes.  He has received more than a dozen since.

"I been harassed so much, I'm selling my business," said Espinoza, owner of Delicias de Mi Tierra on 91st Place in Elmhurst.

"Every two to three weeks, there's cops in here, searching the bar. If there's no violation, they'll make it up. I lost all my clients - everybody's scared to come in my place right now."

The officers implicated by the surveillance tapes are being investigated, but still on duty.

Comments

JMR | July 3, 2008, 10:22am | #

I'm sure someone will soon tell us these crooks are exceptions, rather than the rule, so let me call BS on that one pre-emptively. This is commonplace all over the country, whether or not police types wish to admit it, because it's a lot easier to hassle peaceful people than it is to go after violent/property criminals.
JMR

Warren | July 3, 2008, 10:26am | #

When will we get an administration with the balls to go after the biggest organized crime syndicate in any large city A.K.A the city police.

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 10:30am | #

"Every two to three weeks, there's cops in here, searching the bar. If there's no violation, they'll make it up. I lost all my clients - everybody's scared to come in my place right now."

Most cops are good cops. They would never allow their "Brothers in Blue" to frame an innocent person or harrass an honest businessman for providing evidence that documented it.

[/Pollyanna]

That Goddamned Ultimate Anonymity Spammer | July 3, 2008, 10:39am | #

Welcome to the new Bush police state!

Go visit my shitty website!

Elemenope | July 3, 2008, 10:42am | #

[Sigh.]

Calling them pigs sometimes is demeaning to porcine kind. After all, often pigs can be charming, affectionate animals, and they also taste decent (the rump, anyway; I don't like pork particularly).

jtuf | July 3, 2008, 10:42am | #

Last year, New York police officers were seen dancing in the streets just before arresting four men in a city nightclub on charges of selling $100 worth of cocaine. Wait a second, isn't public dancing without a licence illegal in NYC?

Elemenope | July 3, 2008, 10:43am | #

BTW, Balko, this sort of disclaimer:

"Not the Gambinos. NYPD."

Is utterly unnecessary for an article of yours.

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 10:44am | #

This bears repeating. If a cop and a crack whore testified differently, as a juror I'd give both equal credence.

KenK | July 3, 2008, 10:46am | #

Every Cop is a Criminal

The Police don't consider us citizens, but subjects or even slaves.

Episiarch | July 3, 2008, 10:48am | #

the rump, anyway; I don't like pork particularly

Man, I had a hunch you had no palette. Ever had jamon?

Wait a second, isn't public dancing without a licence illegal in NYC?

I had the same thought. But then again, aren't cops "licensed" to do anything, including dealing and buying drugs (in order to catch others, of course)?

kwais | July 3, 2008, 11:03am | #

So, I am in Spain for the week.

I had the pleasure of meeting a guy who spent various years in a Spanish prison for drug and arms trafficking (neither of which are against my religion, so I had nothing against the dude).

Anyways, you all will be happy to know that police are not uniquely corrupt in the US.

Apparently the Spanish National, and city police, and also the prison guards are very much the brothers of the guys that Radley Balko talks about.

kwais | July 3, 2008, 11:06am | #

or rather the guys that he WRITES about.

Episiarch | July 3, 2008, 11:06am | #

Where in Spain?

dhex | July 3, 2008, 11:20am | #

Wait a second, isn't public dancing without a licence illegal in NYC?

in bars without cabaret licenses, technically, yes.

Colin | July 3, 2008, 11:27am | #

Next time someone asks you why people should have arms, point them to this story.

Elemenope | July 3, 2008, 11:40am | #

No palette? LOL! Pork is the *only* meat I dislike (so far, though I wasn't crazy about alligator), and some preparations of pork I will admit taste pretty good. (There's a tequila slow roast that I enjoy, for example.)

But bacon, mmmmmm, far superior.

Episiarch | July 3, 2008, 11:43am | #

Do you like prosciutto? Jamon? These are amazing, and are only from pork.

kwais | July 3, 2008, 11:44am | #

epsiarch

I am in Granada now.

Maybe to sometime soon be in Almeria, and maybe later Madrid.

Josh | July 3, 2008, 11:48am | #

Colin:

How would guns help in this case?

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 11:57am | #

The officers implicated by the surveillance tapes are being investigated, but still on duty.

Who believes they will be prosecuted or even fired?

Rhywun | July 3, 2008, 1:07pm | #

Every time I see NY's Finest, and that's a LOT cuz I work near the NY Stock Exchange, and I'm tempted to think, "y'know, these guys do a good job fighting crime blah blah blah"... shit like this happens and I hate them all over again.

Rhywun | July 3, 2008, 1:09pm | #

PS. Who buys drugs IN A BAR, anyway?!

kwais | July 3, 2008, 1:18pm | #

PS. Who buys drugs IN A BAR, anyway?!

lots of people. i used to work as a bouncer in one. so yeah lots of people do.

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 1:19pm | #

PS. Who buys drugs IN A BAR, anyway?!

I did once. Got ripped off a little, not a lot. It made sense at the time.

StupendousMan | July 3, 2008, 1:24pm | #

PS. Who buys drugs IN A BAR, anyway?!

Well, pretty much everyone- they sell alcohol.

J | July 3, 2008, 1:55pm | #

That Goddamned Ultimate Anonymity Spammer | July 3, 2008, 10:39am | #
Welcome to the new Bush police state!

Go visit my shitty website!

I just wanted to quote this because Mr. Changing names is getting on my nerves a bit.

I really do think many cops are good. There are just far more bad ones (+misguided ones) than the good ones admit to themselves.

PC | July 3, 2008, 2:44pm | #

"When will we get an administration with the balls to go after the biggest organized crime syndicate in any large city A.K.A the city police."

When the police go after the administration.

PC | July 3, 2008, 2:48pm | #

"I'm sure someone will soon tell us these crooks are exceptions, rather than the rule, so let me call BS on that one pre-emptively."

Sure of yourself you are. Of course they are the exceptions, most don't make print.

Right Wing Nutter | July 3, 2008, 2:56pm | #

So the four cops are going to be prosecuted for perjury, right?

Matt | July 3, 2008, 3:08pm | #

Every Cop is a Criminal

The Police don't consider us citizens, but subjects or even slaves.

No. Every cop is a person. Some are criminal, most aren't. The problem is not with the police, the problem is that there's no good independent system to bring down the hammer on the bad ones.

Cops or Muslims? | July 3, 2008, 3:28pm | #

I'm sure that most are good, and it's only a small percentage who are actually a threat to us.

The good ones need to do something about, and stop rationalizing, the actions of the bad ones.

Until then, I'm going to profile each and every one as a potential violent radical who hates us for our freedoms.

David Gillies | July 3, 2008, 3:31pm | #

This is why the 2nd Amendment is so important.

Paul from Florida | July 3, 2008, 3:51pm | #

So my alley, where I store junk at my bar gets ripped off, over multiple times. Ten aluminum kegs( $500), tools, freezer broken into chicken stolen, meat, HPLV sprayer, pressure washer. This over 6 months. Police don't even bother to come.
So I put in a security camera, get the guy, his car real good. Police come, but couldn't care less and don't even want a copy of the digital files. The next day a town cigarette tax guy, comes in and yells at my 55 year old, blond female day bartender because we don't have our tax permit out. We sell a few cartons a week as a courtesy and the admin is a pain. But I couldn't post the paid tax form, because even thought I've paid it, they never sent it.

It's all about the money. I'd love to have the mafia run the town.

B | July 3, 2008, 4:30pm | #

You people on this site are absolute idiots.

"This bears repeating. If a cop and a crack whore testified differently, as a juror I'd give both equal credence'

So when someone is breaking into your house, I guess that means you might dial the neighborhood crack whore instead of 911? Yeah, sure you would, because you are Mr. Tough guy.


"Every time I see NY's Finest, and that's a LOT cuz I work near the NY Stock Exchange, and I'm tempted to think, "y'know, these guys do a good job fighting crime blah blah blah"... shit like this happens and I hate them all over again"

So does this mean you wish you were getting mugged all the time and you wish no policemen were present anywhere in the city? If you think anything other than that, you are a spineless chickenshit who just likes to sound tough on message boards.



"Every Cop is a Criminal"

And after reading this thread, I can make a similar generalization: Most reason posters are absolute morons.

It is absolutely amazing. Police officers put their lives on the line and get paid shit wages to perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. But when this magazine reports on abuses by the small minority, we have assholes claiming all cops are bad, or when a cop gets killed, we have assholes cheering the death of the police officer, all in a transparently hilarious, and pathetic, attempt to appear "more libertarian than thou" and sound tough.

Any person on this thread, and I can guarantee there is more than one, who claims that all the police are crooks and thugs, yet has called on one when he needs help is a spineless fucking hypocrite.

BCN | July 3, 2008, 4:55pm | #

I live in the Washington DC area and a guy was arrested on Saturday for running over and killing a PG county cop. They put him in the maximum security portion of the county lock-up. He was to be looked in on every 15 minutes, at 10:15 am Sunday morning he is fine at 10:30 am Sunday morning he is “un-responsive”. An autopsy says he died of a broken neck. The 7 jailors on duty at the time are not cooperating with the FBI investigation. This guy did not even make it 24 hours in police custody before they murdered him. So I have a hard time when people tell me it is only a few bad apples spoiling the rest.
BCN

Seamus | July 3, 2008, 5:09pm | #

Do you like prosciutto? Jamon? These are amazing, and are only from pork.

Dad, those all come from the same animal.

Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

JB | July 3, 2008, 5:23pm | #

Where is the best place for a child molester to hide? The Church.

Where is the best place for a criminal to hide?
The Police.

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 5:57pm | #

So the four cops are going to be prosecuted for perjury, right?

Heh, heh. Good one.

Mike Johnson | July 3, 2008, 5:59pm | #

"And after reading this thread, I can make a similar generalization: Most reason posters are absolute morons."

Yeah, Balko has a strong following of morons. In another age he would be posting Birth of a Nation type material to rationalize anti-Black "intellectuals".

"Where is the best place for a child molester to hide? The Church."

You obviously don't watch "To Catch a Rabbi" often. Rabbi's are vastly overrepresented among the child molesters nailed, as are gay men (as the Catholic church learned).

anonymous | July 3, 2008, 6:06pm | #

Any person on this thread, and I can guarantee there is more than one, who claims that all the police are crooks and thugs, yet has called on one when he needs help is a spineless fucking hypocrite.

You use that word hypocrite, but I don't think it means what you believe it does.

We don't call the police because we like them, or even think that they're the most qualified persons the deal with our problems.

We call them because (1) we're paying for their services whether or not we like them, (2) in many instances, The State has made it illegal/impossible for us to defend ourselves, (3) The Police have legal powers and resources that serfs do not.

As for the way many of us feel about protecting ourselves, read some of the gun control related threads here.

I would gladly give up my right/obligation to call The Police if The Police give up their power over me.

Until then, we have the right to say what we want about Them, no matter how much You hate Us for our freedoms (including speech).

J sub D | July 3, 2008, 6:11pm | #

The good ones need to do something about, and stop rationalizing, the actions of the bad ones.

When a cop ignores criminality by his "Brothers in Blue", he's not a good cop. He's a coconspirator. For every cop who brutalizes suspects, plants eviudence, or perjures themself there are a dozen who know and remain silent.

If most cops are good ones, what are the odds of this many crooked ones being
together the night Kathryn Johnston was murdered in her own home?

No, most cops will commit a felony to cover for another cop.

mwl | July 3, 2008, 6:27pm | #

Power corrupts. The bigger government gets, the more corrupt it becomes. Ergo...

Brendon Carr (Korea Law Blog) | July 3, 2008, 7:08pm | #

I'm really curious: If one doesn't buy drugs in a bar, where else is a good place to buy them? High schools?

Rex | July 4, 2008, 6:26am | #

--So when someone is breaking into your house, I guess that means you might dial the neighborhood crack whore instead of 911? Yeah, sure you would, because you are Mr. Tough guy.--

Actually, the obvious answer is this:

When someone is breaking into my house, I will shoot him. I will call 911 to initiate the debris removal.

Art-P.O.G. | July 4, 2008, 6:34am | #

I'm sure that most are good, and it's only a small percentage who are actually a threat to us.

The good ones need to do something about, and stop rationalizing, the actions of the bad ones.

Where is the best place for a child molester to hide? The Church.

Where is the best place for a criminal to hide?
The Police.

When the police go after the administration.

Sure of yourself you are. Of course they are the exceptions, most don't make print.

All QFT. We should eschew hyperbole, but clearly there are problems with law enforcement in this country. And my libertarian instincts, however right or wrong they may be, tell me excessive criminalization of vice is not helpful.

On a side note, did anyone else see Street Kings?

Rhywun | July 4, 2008, 11:00am | #

If you think anything other than that, you are a spineless chickenshit who just likes to sound tough on message boards.

And we're presented with ample evidence of how most politicians are thieves and crooks on a daily basis too, yet most of us continue to vote.

Most of us use the services offered in the local post office, regardless of how loathsome most of the workers are.

Yes, I take advantage of the police when I need them. Life isn't black and white.

I'm really curious: If one doesn't buy drugs in a bar, where else is a good place to buy them? High schools?

I dunno. I always have a friend who knows someone. I've never bought from strangers in public place myself - that just seems way dangerous.

Milliner | July 4, 2008, 1:30pm | #

You have to look at the mentality of cops, and it's no different from criminals, they believe in one thing, that might makes right, and that their gang (cops) is better than the other gang (criminals), and thus they are excused and justified in any action that they think or are told would help their gang win. They fail to think, fail to act as individuals (instead they're a mob), and fail to do what's right no matter what. A cop should be someone who is trained to think and to stand up for what's right, which is to do no harm. He should not be taught that his gang is better than the other gang and it's us against them. It's right for everyone or it's wrong. Cops speeding, cops lying, cops torturing confessions, all wrong, but all justified by their sick might makes right attitude.

Samantha | July 4, 2008, 1:47pm | #

"And after reading this thread, I can make a similar generalization: Most reason posters are absolute morons. "

so you're putting forth that the people who have as yet posted in this thread make up "most reason posters"?

Interesting logic.

Antony | July 4, 2008, 1:58pm | #

Just get rid of these cops criminal. We don't need parasites in our society.

Antony | July 4, 2008, 2:05pm | #

"I'm sure that most are good, and it's only a small percentage who are actually a threat to us."

This is true and this is why we have to get rid of them asap to protect the reputation and credibility of the police. Without this it could become impossible for the police to do their job,

Their job is to protect and serve not to harass citizen or break the law. The vast majority of cop are actually doing their job save for few bad apple. These few bad apple are a danger to our society and we have to get rid of them NOW!

Eric Blair | July 4, 2008, 2:43pm | #

"It is absolutely amazing. Police officers put their lives on the line and get paid shit wages to perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States."

Somebody call the waaaaaambulance on this poor cop. Here's a clue: your job is less dangerous than delivering pizza.

When seconds count, the police are hiding under the bridge running radar.

otherguy | July 4, 2008, 2:45pm | #

BCN, well back in the old days, the saying about PG county cops was that if you made a recording of an arrest, what you'd hear was "*blam* *blam* *blam* *blam* *blam* *blam* FREEZE!" But everything's changed since then: they have automatics. Although seriously, in that case it's the prison guards, not police that have been accused of murder.

But these police in the case mentioned in the post should be fired if for no other reason than they are worthless now. They can't be called to testify because the defense attourney will bring up their previous perjury. If you can't put them on the stand, you really shouldn't put them anywhere they might witness anything of interest.

David Gillies | July 4, 2008, 3:27pm | #

"So when someone is breaking into your house, I guess that means you might dial the neighborhood crack whore instead of 911?"

No. I'll cut him in half with a fucking shotgun, THEN I'll call 911.

anonymous | July 4, 2008, 3:28pm | #

You have to look at the mentality of cops, and it's no different from criminals, they believe in one thing, that might makes right, and that their gang (cops) is better than the other gang (criminals), and thus they are excused and justified in any action that they think or are told would help their gang win.

You forgot to add that, unlike the non-State sanctioned criminals, police officers are also unionized government employees, and possess the whiny liberal sense of entitlement that goes with being such.

Which is why they complain about "cop bashing" so much. What other groups complain about "bashing" whenever they are criticized. Teachers? Gays? Clinton supporters?

John Jones | July 4, 2008, 4:34pm | #

Dont you just hate COPs. Bunch of corrupt, lowlife scumbags. Your typical cop. Losers.

JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

John C. Randolph | July 4, 2008, 5:23pm | #

"dial the neighborhood crack whore instead of 911? "

Ah, I see you're one of the people who believes that dialing 911 is useful in an emergency.

Were you aware that courts have held that the cops have no legal requirement to show up just because they know you're in danger and need help?

-jcr

whatever | July 4, 2008, 5:47pm | #

@anonymous | July 4, 2008, 3:28pm

You're an idiot... just sayin'

Chango | July 4, 2008, 5:57pm | #

I only call the cops when I want someone shot or I need the paper work for insurance purposes. Other than that, they're not much good.

tj | July 4, 2008, 6:14pm | #

Warren, why are you waiting on an Administration? Remember "We The People..".. it's been long forgotten.

Snagglepuss | July 4, 2008, 6:37pm | #

Having been fucked over more than once by the boys in blue, and for absolutely harmless shit - I'd like to hear the cop fans on this board explain away my being handcuffed and smacked around - at the age of seventeen - for an expired licence plate - I have very little sympathy for even the good ones, because they are still under the code of silence - and we KNOW whose idea THAT is, don't we?

Not the "GOOD" cops, that's for sure....

i lasered my pubes | July 4, 2008, 7:58pm | #

Cops are just people who like the power, and don't like real work.

Around here, some tenants deal drugs, and the police just wont turn up and bust them, Police suck

TTT | July 4, 2008, 8:14pm | #

Why US police are so corrupted? In HK and Japan police are always nice and polite. "Internal affairs" is only movie, but "Departed" gives me a feeling of a documentary.

Only Chinese cops can match them

Dave S | July 4, 2008, 8:15pm | #

To Serve and Protect - THEMSELVES!!!!!!!!!!!

Theo Thanatos | July 4, 2008, 9:33pm | #

So a government-corporate conspiracy to spy on the citizens warrants immunity, but a citizen spying on the government warrants harassment.

Bull. Shit.

"As you gaze into the abyss, the abyss shall also gaze into you."

thinkforyourself | July 5, 2008, 2:57am | #

If anyone thinks these cops will keep their jobs they are ignorant, if anyone thinks that the bar owner is being harrassed in retaliation, they are not being realistic. There is too much scrutiny of this place. BTW if I'm not mistaken, two other unrelated arrests were made the same night at this bar. These guys sold drugs and plead guilty in court, I guess the altar boy bar owner didn't catch that on videotape.

koyotebill | July 5, 2008, 3:02am | #

I have never called the police.ever, if i need help that i must call for, it's too late. fight, run, hide and think. be aware of your surroundings, don't wear your ipod on the street or bike and carry something that you are comfortable with as a weapon. grow up and take care of yourselves.

Mickey Shell | July 5, 2008, 9:16am | #

Under capitalism, we will always have repressive "law and order." The order of the day is exploit and subjugate. Meanwhile, the general population is diverted by a Potemkin democracy propped up by media whose entire purpose is to sell products and divert people's attention from the reality of their lives. Everyone looks so FREE and full of potential in the TV commercials. Meanwhile the "war on drugs" has conveniently turned our local "protectors" into occupying armies, and human and civil rights are legally a thing of the past, or rather the stuff of dreams. Police state coming, dressed up in the flag and religious cant. All hail the Right and the righteous, or rather the self-righteous.

anthony Murrey | July 5, 2008, 9:43am | #

That Goddamned Ultimate Anonymity Spammer | July 3, 2008, 10:39am | #
Welcome to the new Bush police state! --


Bush had nothing to do with this, you dumba$$.

jackl | July 5, 2008, 12:31pm | #

For a bunch of political philosophy junkies, most posters haven't drawn the obvious connection that what's debased whatever was left of the culture of "we protect and serve" has been sacrificed to "we make our arrest quotas the easiest way", and that's with drug law enforcement.

There's a discussion of mostly non-political IT techies over at Slashdot here http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/04/1247249 about people's experience with total lack of police interest in investigating stolen laptop computer crimes, even in instances where the computer is still "phoning home" with identifying information. Many posters there "get it": there is no interest in working a hard to solve crime where drug crimes (or child pornography stings) are low-hanging fruit for the all important arrest "stats" which drive policing, not to mention the "green" aspects of law enforcement grants, asset forfeitures, etc.

We need to get real and abandon the war on drugs, particularly marijuana, so that police can be repurposed to fighting crime. The above writer is right that pizza delivery (where you can and do get robbed at gunpoint) is more dangerous than the kind of police work we see in NYC with whole detective squads out to get pot smokers and kids with small quantities of drugs jailed over night illegally as a result of improper street searches and "overcharging" the degree of the crime (from a non-arrestable violation to a misdemeanor).

Oh, and by the way, people over on Slashdot, who didn't log on to this kind of discussion with any anti-cop bias, seem to have as negative view of today's police as many posters on this thread.

Like the mostly former but honorable police officers of LEAP www.leap.cc know, drug prohibition is mostly what's wrong with police and the criminal injustice system.

frankenberry | July 5, 2008, 2:54pm | #

"Welcome to the Bush police state.." IN NEW YORK CITY?????...wrong party, wrong pigs, wrong headed.

reader | July 5, 2008, 5:35pm | #

I live in (far) north Manhattan. Quality-of-life issues are a constant annoyance. Like, fire hydrants cracked open, which then lowers the water pressure enough to stop my top-floor taps from running at all. Drag racing and "boom cars" waking me up until dawn every Friday and Saturday night, and weeknights on summer days. Dog crap all over the sidewalks.

And never a cop in sight. Why does this happen? Because the perps don't have any fear whatsoever of being caught and punished. I will also be moving away from this part of the city, the minute my lease expires.

And yet, I'm still paying taxes to pay for these lying garbage men with guns, but get no benefit for my expense. I also believe, that the Bush Regime has deliberately encouraged pigs across the nation to believe they're above the law, in the "war on terror." Out near City Island, on the east edge of the Bronx, the pigs "practice" shooting 50cal machine guns. What exactly do they need those kinds of weapons for, except as penis substitutes?

Every rural Mayberry pig pen has bought themselves boatloads of SWAT gear and an APC too, in recent years, thanks to the piles of Fed money (my tax money again), that the Bush Regime has provided. For the "war on terror."

Phil E. Drifter | July 5, 2008, 6:28pm | #

I've had a subscription to Men's Health for a number of years and in one issue they did a study to find out how many cops 'juice,' that is, take steroids to enhance their performance.

The result was shocking, that as much as 25% or more of the American police force use steroids, so just as the first poster mentioned, he was smart enough to pre-emptively call the BS on people who come in and claim 'most boys in blue are good, decent people.' No, they're not.

They're the track 3's and track 4's from high school, the footballers; they graduate and have no desire to get further education and join the force for their desire for authority.

If there's no way for Joe Q. Public (me) to find all the laws and regulations in my borough, city, state, and federal that I'm bound to abide by, I'd like to know if they give any of these cops tests on what's illegal and what isn't.

They're just brainwashed to believe that minorities who use drugs get violent, and believe me, they target them. (Read 'Race to Incarcerate' by Marc Mauer)

Let me tell you, I went to college, and drugs were EVERYWHERE. Anything you wanted, if you knew the right people, you could get it. (The song 'welcome to the jungle' comes to mind: 'if you got your money honey we got your disease')

And the sad fact is these elected officials endorse not a war on (some) drugs, but a war on minorities. tinyurl.com/1mn

the 2nd coming of christ | July 6, 2008, 5:19am | #

Just because the video doesn't show it doesn't mean it didn't take place. Drug dealers are experts at going unnoticed or they wouldn't last a week. That said, I don't trust neither the police NOR the judge who acquitted the men and overturned their conviction. To me they're all part of the same corrupt system... Let's be honest: most clubs are nothing more than illegal drug outlets, and the fact they stay open is a miracle in itself... When they actually go ahead and suspend these cops and maybe ban them from being cops ever again or something drastic, then i'll believe that the judge acted with conviction and not because he was forced to due to lack of convincing evidence or what have you. Let's see some actual repercussions from this supposedly great evil that was done... i want to see heads rolling on this one... i mean, c'mon...

anonymous supporter of freedom | July 6, 2008, 7:53am | #

you'd better take some strong action against these cops. i am sure they are exception, but i am also sure that this will spread among all the cops if left unchecked.

Gabe | July 8, 2008, 12:32pm | #

Sure there are lots of entry level cops with good hearts but cops who follow the code of blue are bad...the ones who don't are kicked out/killed/demoted & harassed.

So then you get a culture of "testilying"...."testilying" is the norm...cops who conform to the norm are co-conspirators in a crime syndicate.

The low level crime sindicate poses little danger to professional 35 year old white male family men like me who know how to use subserviant code phrases like "yes sir".

These code phrases hit circuit breakers in the reptile like brains of your average cop and random violent behavior becomes unlikely assuming the cop has no good reason to hate you(like for filming him, or knowing about his bribes or other illegal activity)

However the most evil leaders of these crime syndicates get promoted, from higher positions of power they can protect the "good" drug rings and go after the competition, the guys who lower prices. The low level guys don't even know they are running a protection racket they just follow orders.

Revenue from tickets is a priority, revenue from asset forfeiture is a priority, revenue from the protected drug business is a priority.

Cops treating serfs badly is not considered a big deal...in nicer towns with small populations the tax funded revenue stream is a bigger portion of the picture and electoral power of any one upper middle class guy is enough to increase the odds of being treated respectfully. Think about this when looking for safe places to live.

Most of the cops have lower IQs, they know THEY can't change the system and they are usually just trying to do as well as they can given the crappy system the elites have in place. This helplessness causes some cop fanboys to go on and on about how these guys are "sacrificing" for us! They may be the good cops who are stuck with the absolute shittiest career paths on the force precisely because they are the least corrupt...they aer correct that tehy are being sacrificed, but it isn't for our benefit...they are genuine self righteous PR to protect the high powered drug rings. without the real sacrificial quality of their crappy careers they can't have authentic feeling self-righteous PR.

In crappy poorer towns with larger populations the more poisonous revenue streams are the dominant ones and the importance of rights of any one serf hit the negative territory as the evil in the PD hits such levels that it is basically human predators prowling the streets looking for weak targets to violate.