Pubdate: Tue, 22 Aug 2000
Source: Kansas City Star (MO)
Copyright: 2000 The Kansas City Star
Contact:  1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108
Feedback: http://www.kansascity.com/Discussion/
Website: http://www.kcstar.com/
Author: Karen Dillon, The Kansas City Star
Bookmark: MAP's link to all of Karen Dillon's articles:
http://www.mapinc.org/authors/dillon+karen

LAW ENFORCEMENT WOES ARE RAMPANT NATIONWIDE

In just the last two years, cases of racial profiling, police abuse
and corruption have flared up all over the country. In addition to the
recent beating of a suspect by Philadelphia police that was caught on
camera, here are a few other examples:

The Los Angeles Police Department is embroiled in the worst police
scandal the city has seen in 60 years.

After former Detective Rafael Perez was charged in 1998 for stealing
eight pounds of cocaine out of the police property room, he confessed
to numerous illegal deeds. Perez and other officers in the Rampart
Division had planted evidence on innocent people, falsified police
reports, altered crime scenes and lied in court.

Perez and his partner shot an unarmed illegal immigrant and then
planted a gun on him. The man was paralyzed and in a wheelchair when
he was convicted on the false evidence. He has since been released.

Today, more than 100 cases have been overturned, at least five
officers have been criminally charged and more than a dozen face
internal charges of misconduct. About 70 officers are still under
investigation. City officials say the settlements in these cases could
cost more than $125 million.

The Memphis, Tenn., Police Department is immersed in federal and state
corruption investigations for illegally spending cash seized in drug
investigations.

A state audit found that more than $100,000 was spent on a variety of
items, including unspecified lawn care services, golf fees for the
chief, furniture for the chief's office and meals for visiting Russian
police officers.

In addition, more than $90,000 the department spent had little or no
documentation, and more than $40,000 that was spent on travel to
conferences was not documented.

The municipal auditor found the department had an "overall blatant
lack of respect for authority."

In July a new police chief fired the department's second-in-command,
two deputy chiefs and the head of finance.

During a 10-month period the Denver Police Department has been rocked
by controversy:

- -- On Sept. 29 police went to the wrong house on a "no knock" drug
raid. They shot and killed Ismael Mena, a Mexican immigrant who was
not involved in illegal drugs. Earlier this year, just as the
controversy surrounding Mena's death became public, Chief Tom Sanchez
flew to Hawaii with staff members on police business. The Denver mayor
called him back and fired him.

- -- Earlier this year the public learned that a number of officers had
confessed to using drugs before being hired.

- -- Two officers last month were charged with destroying evidence in 80
drug cases.

- -- Also in July police discovered $100,000 missing from the property
room and are investigating.

The St. Louis Police Department is being confronted by angry residents
and civil rights activists after an officer and a federal agent shot
two men to death at a Jack In The Box restaurant in June during a drug
investigation.

The two men were unarmed, information the department refused to
release for two days, and one man was not a suspect. Police say the
men tried to run over the officer and the agent. The shooting occurred
in the afternoon as people sat in the eatery. A grand jury is
investigating.

In July the Hartford, Conn., Police Department came under fire when it
was learned that it had kept at least $750,000 in drug seizure money
that should have gone to two other state agencies.

In fact, the department had failed to respond to 80 percent or 3,550
court orders this year that sent the money to the other state agencies.

The state auditor's office, which is examining the department's
finances, said this month that the department had improperly spent
$62,000 in drug money to buy cars for the mayor and other top city
officials.

During a 13-month-period, four black men have died at the hands of New
York City police.

Last year police fired 41 shots at Amadou Diallo, an unarmed man
standing in a doorway. He was struck 19 times and died. The officers
were later acquitted.

The most recent case involved a security guard who also was unarmed.
In March an undercover detective posing as a drug dealer approached
the guard and tried to buy crack cocaine. The two scuffled, and the
guard was killed.

Last month a grand jury cleared the officer, saying the shooting was
not intentional.

Racial profiling has touched almost every state in the country in some
way during the last two years. The controversy exploded last year in
February when the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police said
that cocaine and marijuana traffickers were most likely minorities and
that those who didn't believe minorities were behind drugs were naive.

He was quickly fired by the governor. But accusations of racial
profiling continue to persist as Congress and state legislators around
the country are attempting to implement laws to halt the practice.

Since the New Jersey incident, the U.S. Department of Justice has
begun investigating numerous accusations of racial profiling around
the country.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake