GRtak
Forum Addict
Here are a couple of police abuses in the name of the War on Drugs.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/cops-ate-pot-brownies-houston_n_982051.html
http://www.detnews.com/article/2011...ith-misusing-drug-funds-suspended-without-pay
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/cops-ate-pot-brownies-houston_n_982051.html
Cops Accused Of Eating Man's Pot Brownies, Bragging About It
Two Houston police officers could be asking "dude, where's my credibility?" after a suspect accused them of eating his pot brownies.
Nicholas Hill, 19, claims that Houston cops took his brownies, that they knew were laced with marijuana, and munched away after arresting the teen for pot possession.
ABC 13 found something more substantial than just Hill's claim. The station reports that it has obtained messages typed by the officers on their in-car computers after confiscating and consuming the baked goods.
"So HIGH... Good munchies," one officer supposedly wrote. "Everything should be open when we get done," the other responded.
One of Hill's defense attorneys, Daniel Cahill, told The Huffington Post that, if his client's accusations prove to be true, they could have very serious consequences.
"If what is alleged is true then it really calls into question everything that went on that day," Cahill said. "If we have police destroying evidence or maybe not following the rules that they need to be following, that brings into question the integrity of the system and everything these guys have done, possibly."
Houston Police Department spokesperson John Cannon told HuffPost that the department would not speculate on what penalties the officers would face if the accusations are found to be accurate.
"HPD is looking into the matter and will conduct a thorough investigation," Cannon said.
The officers remain on active duty while the investigation takes place, according to Cannon.
Cahill said that, until the investigation is finished, it's unclear what will happen with his client's case.
"We're waiting on the investigation before we can really move," he said. "We're stuck in a holding pattern."
http://www.detnews.com/article/2011...ith-misusing-drug-funds-suspended-without-pay
Romulus cops charged with misusing drug funds suspended without pay
Ex-chief, officers allegedly spent $100K on prostitutes, marijuana
Steve Pardo/ The Detroit News
Romulus? The former police chief of Romulus and five officers from a special investigative division allegedly spent more than $100,000 in forfeited drug money to buy booze, marijuana, prostitutes, lavish trips and a tanning salon for the ex-chief's wife, authorities said Tuesday.
The ex-chief, Michael St. Andre, and his wife, Sandra Vlaz-St. Andre, both 50, face up to 20 years in prison for their alleged role in the misuse of money that Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said went on from January 2006 to this month.
Also charged were Detectives Richard Balzer, 50; Richard Landry, 39; Donald Hopkins, 38; Jeremy Channells, 35; and Larry Droege, 32. Each faces charges that carry prison terms ranging from five to 20 years.
Worthy said the officers falsified reports and misused city funds to deposit cash into personal bank accounts. More allegedly was spent on a rehearsal dinner for an informant and on false payments to informants.
St. Andre paid for a trip to California for a female friend and her child that included airline tickets, rental cars and high-end hotel stays, Worthy said.
The officers also are accused of filing fake reports and double-dipping by charging the city for items such as uniform expenditures while pulling money from the drug forfeiture funds.
The investigation started after a police official ? described by Worthy as "highly placed" ? asked Michigan State Police to investigate the department's use of drug forfeiture funds. The investigation began in January 2009.
The charges announced Tuesday stemmed from the probe of what Worthy called "a culture of corruption and greed at its core."
"This is not an indictment of the entire Romulus Police Department that has honest, hardworking officers who put their lives on the line to protect us each day," Worthy said.
"Although an investigation of this nature takes hundreds of hours of time, it is crucial that we charge defendants where we find them, even when it is a police department."
Drug forfeiture funds can be used only for the enforcement and enhancement of controlled-substance laws.
$40K misused in a year
Romulus Mayor Alan Lambert said he was disappointed in the developments.
"It's a shame that someone would do that ? actually break the law instead of enforce it," the mayor said. "If they committed these crimes, they're going to get what they deserve."
Lambert said the five detectives have been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
St. Andre faces 10 charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise and acquiring or maintaining a criminal enterprise. Vlaz-St. Andre was charged with acquiring or maintaining a criminal enterprise and conspiracy criminal enterprise.
The five officers worked in the department's Special Investigation Unit.
They answered directly to St. Andre as they investigated liquor violations and alleged prostitution and narcotics trafficking at the Landing Strip in Romulus and Subi's Place in Southgate, Worthy said.
The investigation was hidden from the department's special investigations supervisor, she added.
The men allegedly spent city money on prostitutes, alcohol and marijuana, including $40,000 in misused funds from January 2010 to January 2011, she added.
Balzer, Landry and Hopkins face up to 20 years in prison on charges including conducting a criminal enterprise and conspiracy to conduct a criminal enterprise. Channells and Droege face up to five years on misconduct in office charges.
Managers at the strip clubs declined comment.
New chief to make changes
St. Andre allegedly spent $75,000 from the forfeiture fund on the purchase and operation of a Westland tanning salon run by his wife, Worthy said.
In March, state police raided the tanning salon, St. Andre's home, the police station and other sites as part of an investigation of the department.
At that time, St. Andre told The Detroit News the investigation centered on the department's narcotics unit not paying informants properly.
St. Andre said then he was the focus of the investigation. He took a nearly seven-week leave. St. Andre, who returned to work in late April, announced his retirement Sept. 14. Tuesday was to be his last day.
The defendants were arraigned Tuesday afternoon in 34th District Court in Romulus before Judge Brian Oakley. All waived the formal reading of charges, and none spoke.
Michael Rataj, an attorney for Balzer, said afterward, "I can't speak for the others, but on behalf of my client, he's very confident he'll be cleared."
Oakley ordered the defendants to surrender their passports. Bond was set at $25,000 for the former chief; at $20,000 for Balzer, Landry and Hopkins; and $5,000 for Vlaz-St. Andre, Channells and Droege.
A preliminary exam was set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5.
Records obtained by The Detroit News in 2009 show Romulus collected $1.21 million in seized vehicles and money from 2006-08.
It's unclear how much of that was related to drug forfeitures alone and the amount communities collect can vary widely.
The department received nearly $839,000 in 2007, and $57,442 in 2004.
Robert Dickerson, a 25-year Wayne County Sheriff's Department veteran, was sworn in as police chief Sept. 19. He has changed locks on access areas and added cameras to sensitive areas, and plans other changes.
"Little things I can do right away," he said. "But then I have to work on policies and procedures as well. This department lacks policy and procedures, and that's where I'm going to step in."
Lambert said he has faith in Dickerson and is confident necessary changes will be made.
"Our new chief is reviewing every single policy to make sure this kind of abuse can never happen again," the mayor said.
City officials said they hope the city can move forward.
"I'm glad there's been some action," said Leroy Burcroff, mayor pro tem. "Let's move forward. Now we can rebuild the department and put the pieces back together."
"This really has been a long, drawn-out, very dreadful, tiring time not only for the council but for the citizens," Councilwoman Eva Web said. "Abuse of power is a serious thing. But my heart goes out to the spouses, the children, the families of these officers."