Public Justice
A favorite resource of mine for news about corruption in law enforcement is InjusticeEverywhere.com. Their Twitter feed is hard to stomach, but I do my best and I try to call attention to it when I can.
I think it is important to note that in the last few days alone, InjusticeEverywhere posted stories that involved officers with one or more of the following allegations, arrests, or convictions:
- battery
- sexual misconduct with a minor
- child pornography
- spousal abuse
- intent to sell
- posting nude pictures of a detained woman (in handcuffs) online
- molesting a 15 year old boy
- inappropriate contact with a 12 year old
- suspicion of child abuse since the 1970s
- DUI after running into own mail box
- doing 150 mph while on disability
- filing false reports
- conspiring to cover up beatings
- fraud
- assault
- excessive force
- grand theft
- stalking
- public indecency
- drug dealing
- theft from evidence
- supplying drugs at sex parties
- having sex while on duty
- armed robbery
- shoplifting
- selling impounded vehicles
- coercion of a fellow officer to write a false summons
- kicking cuffed suspects in the head
- lying about traffic stops
- racial profiling
- rape
This is only a partial list from InjusticeEverywhere’s tweets since roughly March 6th. Yes, of 2010.
This morning on the way into work, I heard on the radio that a former technician at the SFPD crime lab is now under investigation for tampering with drug evidence. Upon reading the story, I see that tampering apparently means stealing and using, and that she may not have been the only one involved:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7323219
(A side note: The headline’s use of the word “deficiencies” is a staggering understatement in my opinion.)
Thankfully, a small silver lining exists here in that many drug cases in SF are now being dismissed. A few victimless “criminals” will have their freedom restored (although not their lost time, money, jobs, stress, etc.), but only thanks to the corruption of a former public employee.
The unfortunate question is whether or not anything will change. Ample evidence should have implicated the system by now, but hasn’t yet. Public “justice” doesn’t seem to be serving anyone. In fact, it seems to be hurting a great many people.
