Lest anyone mistake police for a body dedicated to upholding the law, or even referring criminal activity to a District Attorney for prosecution, we highlight Kentucky's New Albany Police Department. An officer identified that its employees – other officers – were lying about their overtime and performing work for third parties while on the department's clock, all resulting in theft of public funds for "work" they were not in fact performing for the community. Was she given a medal? Did she get a promotion?
Of course not. This is an American police department, dedicated above everything else to making sure its own members never faced the consequences of the law they swore to uphold. Their first move was to fire the woman.
If you're thinking the District Attorney will prosecute the corrupt cops, leading to the vigilant public servant's reinstatement, don't hold your breath. There's little hope for police who want clean departments in Missouri (demoted for truthfully answering questions about an in-custody death), New York (committed following crime-stat fudging report), Maryland (branded a snitch after "ratting" out police brutality, and harassed), Illinois (harassment and death threats after reporting corruption, and instructions not to provide backup to rat cops in danger), Washington (officer was abandoned and allowed to be shot, despite calling for backup, because he reported excessive force, then was disciplined on pretext; his shooter was allowed to plead to "attempted assault"), or pretty much anyplace else they might report wrongdoing.
It's corrupt, and we don't have enough democracy in this country to get departments that will reflect our hunger for real justice. We need more democracy.
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