When you begin a career as a cop the risks to your life on the job are drummed into your soul for the next year or so. Your training surrounds the issue of survival on the mean streets along with all the other areas such as law, enforcement methods, first aid and dealing with the hostile public.What they don’t tell you is that you’re a target for more than fists and bullets. People will try and frame you through bogus complaints. Just like cops are killed, careers are also killed.
I will never forget how some great Chicago cops arrested a young and prolific burglar on Chicago’s Northwest side. The burglar would claim brutality, false arrest and anything else he could to evade prosecution.
Cops were fired, disgraced and blackballed from future law enforcement positions. As for this particular burglar he was the son of the late, Democratic Chicago Alderman turned Congressman, Roman Conrad Pucinski. The young Pucinski was able to destroy the careers of no less than a half-dozen good cops before his father ceased to interfere fixing those arrests.
That kind of back door Chicanery has existed as long as government and will continue as long as we have government. No “Blue Ribbon Special Investigations” will cure this practice or even slow it down.
When cops find themselves wrongly in the courts, police boards, civil service commissions and such they are in a fight for their very lives. They need lawyers and investigators working on their side. I handle plenty of these types of cases and enjoy helping the wrongfully accused.
Today we have a surveillance camera in nearly every business, on police vehicle dashboards and there are the bystanders and agitators with cell phone cameras. For the officer who has been acting properly these videos are very helpful.
When possible after a crime seize bystander cell phone and other cameras as evidence long enough to download their images and videos. This may save your butt and bring justice to the courts and various commissions.
Police internal investigations almost always error on the side of hurting cops rather than protecting them.
It can be an ugly world out there. If it were not for the lies people freely tell even while under oath the occupation of private investigator may not even exist.
Great post Paul........... One small thing you left out that the Police Academy teaches on FAMILY NIGHT is............... How your spouse or significant other can screw you and your career, with bogus allegations just because they are pissed at you. They strip the officer, drug test them, make them appear before IAD, CR#'s up the ass, sent to call back or just plain put on administrative leave. Sometimes the enemy is in your own home because they are mean spirited people that want to screw with their significant other. It is a travesty of internall injustice on the officer that has to go through this, it can ruin a career if not end it.
ReplyDeleteIf the Dept. wants you gone ,your gone.They have all kinds of vermin come to the monthly Chiefs meetings, selling their services on how to deal with "problem employees".
ReplyDeleteThe Police unions are a joke and are in bed with the Dept.All they want is the montly fee they take out of your paycheck and do nothing for you.
Think you will get a fair trial in court,that largely depends where you are and the court/judge.Remember,your fate is only a phone call away.
DONT GET MARRIED IF YOU ARE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ITS JUST NOT WORTH IT
ReplyDelete