Asset forfeiture opportunities offer some perverse incentives for law enforcement. In Weatherford, defrocked Parker County Sheriff Jay Brown this week was convicted of stealing money forfeited during drug investigations. He spent the money to purchase vehicles for county use, but later traded them for lesser-valued cars, pocketing the difference without reporting it. Sheriff Brown received a probated sentence.
Meanwhile, two cops in the South Texas town of San Benito used seized drugs from traffic stops to open up their own retail business on the side. The first of the officers was convicted this week and sentenced to eight years in federal prison, while their civilian partner received a three year sentence last fall. The second officer, Edgar Heberto Lopez, is still a fugitive.
We always read and hear about corrupt cop stories and where they happen they are deserved, but I wanted to remind people that there are some good ones out there too.
ReplyDeleteOne such group is LEAP, or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. The basic principle of the group is that the drug war in its present form has failed, we'd have a better chance of protecting our kids with regulation than with prohibition.
Consider both sides and don't automatically assume the cop you see is a bad guy, and if it strikes you as a group you can support tell some people about them. They could do a lot of good I think, if they can get in front of enough people. http://www.leap.cc/
what retail business did they open up??? I'd really like to know..
ReplyDelete