Post: #1

Quote: PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A disgraced ex-police officer testifying against his drug squad colleagues acknowledged Tuesday that he stole drug money, planted evidence and lied on police paperwork too many times to count.

Jeffrey Walker told jurors that the Philadelphia Police Department drug squad targeted white "college-boy ... khaki-pants types" who were "easy to intimidate."

That matches the description of some of the drug dealers who have testified in recent weeks in the federal police corruption trial. The witnesses have said the squad stole as much as $110,000 at a time during illegal raids marked by threats and physical violence.

Lead defendant Thomas Liciardello, their de facto leader, always got a cut of the money, while the others split "jobs" they actually worked, Walker said. The city's police brass often celebrated the squad's success with splashy news conferences when they made big seizures.

"It made them look good. It was nothing but a dog and pony show," Walker said.

More than 160 drug convictions have been overturned since Walker pleaded guilty and the others were named in a 25-count indictment. Scores of civil-rights lawsuits are pending over the arrests.

Walker, 46, said he first stole money as a uniformed patrolman when he chased a dealer into a house and spotted a large bag of cash on top of the refrigerator.

"I never saw that much money. I was a young kid," Walker told jurors. "I took some money, put it in my jacket pocket."

Defense lawyers have attacked his credibility and will no doubt point out on cross-examination the times he admits acting alone, even before he joined the elite undercover drug unit. He also said he developed a drinking problem and became forgetful. The trial began last month and is expected to last several more weeks.

Walker joined the department around age 20 and had nearly 24 years in when he was arrested in an FBI sting last year.

He said he ultimately made $119,000 a year, apparently not counting significant overtime for time spent in court or late-night drug investigations, or the large sums of drug money he stole. He suggested that squad members padded their overtime hours, and he faulted one-time partner Linwood Norman for not making arrests that led to lucrative court hours.

"We make money going to court," Walker testified. "He's basically riding along. I got frustrated with that."

Walker and Norman were known as "The Twin Towers," often assigned by Liciardello to rough people up.

In one of their more memorable assignments, Norman leaned drug suspect Michael Cascioli over a high-rise balcony to elicit the passcode for his Palm Pilot, according to Walker, who helped scare the suspect.

City police officials later held a news conference to announce that the 2007 search had yielded more than $1.5 million in marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, and $440,000 in cash. Federal prosecutors now say the squad raided the apartment before they got a warrant.

In another episode, Walker admitted carrying a heavy safe full of drug money down 17 flights of stairs to avoid being seen on the elevator security camera. And he described another heist when he stuffed so much bundled cash into his police vest that he had to wear Liciardello's vest over his to cover the bulge when he left the house.

Walker agreed to cooperate last year after being caught in an FBI sting stealing $15,000 from a suspect and planting drugs in his car. He has been in custody for nearly a year and hopes to avoid a life sentence through his testimony.

Liciardello, he said, warned squad members not to change their spending habits so dramatically that they attracted attention. Walker nonetheless said he spent the money he made on clothes and other purchases.

The other defendants include Michael Spicer, Perry Betts and John Speiser.

Associated Press

This guy was making $119,000 a year plus stealing hundreds of thousands in drug money, and still found time to arrest innocent people so he could get a little extra overtime on his paycheck. Talk about dedication.

If they got away with this for 24 years and only got caught being extremely reckless, how many other cases like this do you think are happening daily? Maybe we should adjust those 10% bad cop numbers to accommodate this entire elite undercover unit?

Post: #2

Not only are these guys fucked, their families are in the firing line. You do not want some drug dealer with a grudge with knowledge of who you are, let alone hundreds of them. Fucking idiots.

They also put back on the street a lot of people who should be inside and lets not forget the multi millions to be lost from tax payers as a result of the civil suits. Every case they did must be reviewed.

Way to go.

Post: #3

(04-14-2015 04:07 PM)Enigma Wrote:  If they got away with this for 24 years and only got caught being extremely reckless, how many other cases like this do you think are happening daily? Maybe we should adjust those 10% bad cop numbers to accommodate this entire elite undercover unit?

Depends on the group but I bet it's closer to 10% good cops especially in special units. The more elite it's seen to be the more courts will trust you. Why wouldn't they lie to get ahead and steal to get rich on the sly? Even if you're honest when you come in (rare but not unheard of) the job turns you crooked.

(04-14-2015 04:23 PM)Foolsgo1d Wrote:  Not only are these guys fucked, their families are in the firing line. You do not want some drug dealer with a grudge with knowledge of who you are, let alone hundreds of them. Fucking idiots.

They also put back on the street a lot of people who should be inside and lets not forget the multi millions to be lost from tax payers as a result of the civil suits. Every case they did must be reviewed.

Way to go.

So these guys fucked over a lot of innocent people and the problem is that it got exposed?

Post: #4

delete

Post: #5

While it is a good thing that these police officers are being prosecuted, there should also be prosecutions for the so-called "parallel construction" methods that various Federal Agencies use as well.

I'll start believing things have changed when the Justice Department starts prosecuting on those cases.

Post: #6

(04-14-2015 04:38 PM)Grange Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 04:07 PM)Enigma Wrote:  If they got away with this for 24 years and only got caught being extremely reckless, how many other cases like this do you think are happening daily? Maybe we should adjust those 10% bad cop numbers to accommodate this entire elite undercover unit?

Depends on the group but I bet it's closer to 10% good cops especially in special units. The more elite it's seen to be the more courts will trust you. Why wouldn't they lie to get ahead and steal to get rich on the sly? Even if you're honest when you come in (rare but not unheard of) the job turns you crooked.

(04-14-2015 04:23 PM)Foolsgo1d Wrote:  Not only are these guys fucked, their families are in the firing line. You do not want some drug dealer with a grudge with knowledge of who you are, let alone hundreds of them. Fucking idiots.

They also put back on the street a lot of people who should be inside and lets not forget the multi millions to be lost from tax payers as a result of the civil suits. Every case they did must be reviewed.

Way to go.

So these guys fucked over a lot of innocent people and the problem is that it got exposed?

I wasn't on about innocent people. They didn't always go after innocent people and its those I am referring too.

Post: #7

It's a plotline right out of The Shield.

Post: #8

What I don't get though is there are so many dudes smoking weed in public in cities, so many dudes clearly selling weed, why are you planting drugs at all? I don't agree with people going to jail over drug possession but if that's the law there are tons of people breaking it. Just walking home from work I passed a couple dudes just having a walk smoking an L on the street like it's nothing.

Post: #9

(04-14-2015 05:52 PM)Suits Wrote:  It's a plotline right out of The Shield.

The Shield was more or less based on the real life exploits of the LAPD.

Read about Rafael Perez and rampart division. It will make your blood boil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_P%C3...officer%29

Around the time of the rampart shit going down in the media that's when Training day and Shield got loosely adapted from real life events.

Post: #10

(04-14-2015 06:18 PM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 05:52 PM)Suits Wrote:  It's a plotline right out of The Shield.

The Shield was more or less based on the real life exploits of the LAPD.

Read about Rafael Perez and rampart division. It will make your blood boil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_P%C3...officer%29

Around the time of the rampart shit going down in the media that's when Training day and Shield got loosely adapted from real life events.

Yes, I'm familiar with the historical context of these works of fiction.

I think the real take away from this is that as long as some people are afforded special powers, a portion is going to abuse those powers.

It happened centuries ago, it happened decades ago and it's happening right now.

As far as law enforcement goes, we have the option between no police or inevitably corrupt police.

The Fathers of the Constitution would agree with me that the answer lies in balance of power.

This is why I and others are so again the beating of suspects, even if they arguably may have had it coming and their guilt is indisputable.

Not allowing one arm of law enforcement to become judge, jury and executioner is a fundamental result of the principle of balance of power.

Corruption and abuses of power are inevitable. It's how you reduce this behaviour to the minimum that needs to be our focus.

Post: #11

Quote:Norman leaned drug suspect Michael Cascioli over a high-rise balcony to elicit the passcode for his Palm Pilot

Post: #12

I'm looking forward to the day where drug prohibition was just a quirk of history, like alcohol prohibition was. Absolute insanity.

Post: #13

Is anyone surprised, I've watched so many gangsta movies based on real life that this is to be expected. Who wouldn't take a bag of corrupt money, if no one knew about it and the suspect was getting thrown in jail.

Post: #14

I know my moral convictions are not cement.
I would p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ definitely do all the same shit.
Luckily, I'm not a cop.

Post: #15

(04-14-2015 05:52 PM)Suits Wrote:  It's a plotline right out of The Shield.

First thing that popped into my mind too.

What would Vic Mackey do?

Post: #16

(04-15-2015 01:01 AM)zombiejimmorrison Wrote:  Is anyone surprised, I've watched so many gangsta movies based on real life that this is to be expected. Who wouldn't take a bag of corrupt money, if no one knew about it and the suspect was getting thrown in jail.

I'd definitely be tempted.

I used to be moral to a fault, but a few years in China has kicked that out of me.

However, in cases where there is a clear victim....I'm still a nice guy.

Post: #17

The war on drugs is an idiotic undertaking anyway - one that is actually used as a cash-cow by upper-echelon government agencies like the CIA to earn billions of cash and achieve strategic goals. Governments have always used drugs for various goals - the opium wars for example were created by the British Empire to weaken China in the 19th century.

So of course when you put out incentives for cops to make even more money then things get out of hand. Personally I don't mind if clear drug money is taken by the officers, but planting drugs on some small-time users is not only criminal but just terrible. They also likely let out plenty of real drug dealers.

Ah well - nothing surprising really.

Post: #18

(04-14-2015 07:46 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 06:18 PM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 05:52 PM)Suits Wrote:  It's a plotline right out of The Shield.

The Shield was more or less based on the real life exploits of the LAPD.

Read about Rafael Perez and rampart division. It will make your blood boil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_P%C3...officer%29

Around the time of the rampart shit going down in the media that's when Training day and Shield got loosely adapted from real life events.

Yes, I'm familiar with the historical context of these works of fiction.

I think the real take away from this is that as long as some people are afforded special powers, a portion is going to abuse those powers.

It happened centuries ago, it happened decades ago and it's happening right now.

As far as law enforcement goes, we have the option between no police or inevitably corrupt police.

The Fathers of the Constitution would agree with me that the answer lies in balance of power.

This is why I and others are so again the beating of suspects, even if they arguably may have had it coming and their guilt is indisputable.

Not allowing one arm of law enforcement to become judge, jury and executioner is a fundamental result of the principle of balance of power.

Corruption and abuses of power are inevitable. It's how you reduce this behaviour to the minimum that needs to be our focus.

We as Americans have lost 4 generations of police to the corruption and dishonesty inherent in the drug war and "vice" crime prosecution. When you give people the power to arrest, search, and seize property from others due to laws based on controlling behavior you will get rampant abuse. It is the same with the fake rape phenomenon, we give women unilateral power to destroy a man's life with no consequences if she is found to be untruthful and abuse of that power proliferates. If police focused on real crime like murder, fraud and property crime there would be very little for police to do, and no justification for our prison industrial complex; However, make private personal behavior illegal and entire multi state divisions must be made to enforce it. For the record, most police shootings occur during "no knock" raids late at night on low level drug offenders. This is not a war on drugs, this is a war on Americans and we as men need to find the political will to end it. There is no rape culture it is a power grab by feminists, and we as men need to end this rape hysteria as well.

Post: #19

Yeah, this is a Scorsese film that writes itself.

Dude is like Denzel in 'Training Day' or Keitel in 'Bad Lieutenant'.

Post: #20

Funny how LEO's think they can define themselves as "good" or "bad". If you are part of a corrupt organization and you perjure yourself to protect other "dirty" cops, then you are filthy too.
In the news today:
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' chief law enforcement official called Snoop Dogg a "dope smoking cop hater" before reprimanding a state trooper who posed for a picture with the rapper, according to emails made public Wednesday.

Newsflash: Most of us are "dope smoking cop haters".