New York’s Not So Finest

Army Crips and Bloods.

Today the New York Post http://www.nypost.com/seven/03022009/news/columnists/city_cops_baddy_buddies_157607.htm is reporting about members of the NYPD who are associating with known criminals.

This is a real issue for the Police Department. As many younger officer have maintained relationships including intimate ones with known felons. Frequently especially in intimate relationships the dominant role ” controlling ” person may be the felon. In a recent case an officer was laundering money for her boy friend. See http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/02/13/2009-02-13_nypd_officer_yaniris_balbuena_laundered_.html

What many Officers do is to ” keep it real ” with their childhood neighborhood friends”. When they become Police Officer’s they fail to sever the relationship.  In fact many are sympathetic and or indifferent to low level drug sales by their friends. They don’t see the hypocritical relationship by ” hanging” with these individuals. So they may not be present during the illegal behavior, but will have social relationship with the criminals.  Clearly an ethical conflict, and one that is not condoned by the NYPD policy, or by the sworn oath to uphold the U.S. and State Constitution.

In Mexico http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexbust28-2008oct28,0,3196498.story officials have admitted that drug cartels have infiltrated police operations.  All across America Police Agencies, have to conduct investigations ” background checks” on applicants. However no system is fool proof.

In N.Y. the starting salary for Officers’ dropped to about $ 27,000.00. In an effort to maintain staffing levels, it is gossip in the NYPD that many persons who would not have been police officer’s in the past were hired. For example a person charged with Grand Larceny Auto( a felony)  but had the charges dropped to disorderly conduct ( a violation ) would be qualified to be hired as they had never been ” convicted” of a felony, only arrested for same.

Years ago it was reported the U.S. Armed Forces was hiring gang members. See http://noworldsystem.com/2008/03/13/gang-members-get-trained-in-the-army/ As such it should not shock anyone that Police Agencies have been infiltrated by gang members and drug gangs.