Mobile police officers arrested - police misconduct

[Bens4vcobra]

This always suprises me when things like this happen. I think often times police officers get a bad rap and things like this only further skew people's view of them. This taints the hard work that they do and the sacrifice they make to do their jobs every day. I've always thought we have a really good city and county police departments.


source: www.al.com
MOBILE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Officers arrested on drug charges

Desmond Brooks, Aaron Porter accused of felony possession of controlled substance Thursday, February 07, 2008By JILLIAN KRAMERStaff Reporter
Two Mobile police officers were arrested Wednesday on drug and theft charges following a week-long internal investigation, authorities said.

Desmond Brooks, 28, was charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and theft of lost property, and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana -- items Chief Phillip Garrett said he believes Brooks obtained while working.

A second officer, Aaron Porter, 32, was charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.

The officers' arrests follow an internal affairs investigation that began after Garrett received a tip that Brooks was involved in illegal activity, the chief said.

Garrett said a search warrant was executed Wednesday at Brook's Theodore home, where police discovered crack cocaine, marijuana and more than $300.

Porter was arrested shortly after Brooks, police spokeswoman Nancy Johnson said. He was also found to be in possession of crack cocaine, Johnson said.

"This brings ... discredit to what we do for a living," Garrett said. "It's not something you think of a police officer as being able to do."

There was no indication, however, that either Brooks or Porter were using or selling the drugs, Garrett said.

The men, who worked together at Precinct 3, have been suspended until an internal administrative hearing is held, Johnson said.

Brooks has been an officer with the department for more than eight years, Johnson said, and Porter joined the force less than a year ago.

Garrett said he had not received complaints prior to last week's tip.

"It was a total surprise to me," he said.

Both men were booked into the Mobile County Metro Jail Wednesday, and the amounts of their bail were not immediately available.

District Attorney John Tyson Jr., who was apprised of the investigation Wednesday morning, said it's too early to say what penalties the pair might face if convicted.

However, he said, the penalty for each Class C felony is one to 10 years in jail.



Here are the links to the story:

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/120237937233190.xml&coll=3

http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/police_officers_arrested/10016/

http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox...n=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

 

[Steve@TF]

looks like those guys have been watching The Shield and thought it was a good idea and an easy way to make some extra cash on the side :banana:

 

[carrrnuttt]

And yet, some brainwashed robots on this forum will still find a way to defend those nutbags, like being in law-enforcement dissociates you from being human, and the fallibilities of being human.

 

[FordSVTFan]

That is what internal investigations are supposed to uncover. There are bad apples in every bunch.

 

[Bens4vcobra]

That is what internal investigations are supposed to uncover. There are bad apples in every bunch.

Since you're the expert here, I'll as you: I was somewhat suprised that they acted so quickly after receiving the tip. The officer didn't have any spots on his record in 8 years. Is it unusual to act quickly on just a tip? Or are we to assume that there was evidence there that just wasn't disclosed?

 

[HomeboyNorm]

These officers are wrong for the job

 

[Gallows]

Must of been a solid tip to get those results in a week.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Since you're the expert here, I'll as you: I was somewhat suprised that they acted so quickly after receiving the tip. The officer didn't have any spots on his record in 8 years. Is it unusual to act quickly on just a tip? Or are we to assume that there was evidence there that just wasn't disclosed?

I am sure most of the info was not disclosed. I would bet there had been previous indications of wrong doing. That being said, that is the way the system is supposed to work.

 

[mustanginky]

glad to see they were arrested. they discredit the dept. and they are a danger to their co workers. i work at a prison, and a couple weeks ago a correctional officer was stripped of his uniform, and forced to walk out in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit for bringing in drugs to prisoners, a class d felony (promoting dangerous contraband). his photographs were taken by local news media as he was walked out by a state trooper. glad to see him carted off like that, and it was off a tip from an inmate.

 

[Bens4vcobra]

I am sure most of the info was not disclosed. I would bet there had been previous indications of wrong doing. That being said, that is the way the system is supposed to work.

Saw on the news last night that apparently the department set them up. It looks like the tip prompted a sting and both of these guys took the bait.

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

According to the story Brooks was 20 when he started. Seems kind of young to me.

 

[carrrnuttt]

glad to see they were arrested. they discredit the dept. and they are a danger to their co workers. i work at a prison, and a couple weeks ago a correctional officer was stripped of his uniform, and forced to walk out in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit for bringing in drugs to prisoners, a class d felony (promoting dangerous contraband). his photographs were taken by local news media as he was walked out by a state trooper. glad to see him carted off like that, and it was off a tip from an inmate.

When I was a CO, we investigated and kicked out/arrested COs that not only brought drugs and/or other contraband, but provided sexual favors for the inmates!

And get this...one of them was a male officer (male prison!). :xpl:


Oh, I wanted to cave in that ****ot's face.

 

[Bens4vcobra]

Here is a pretty good article that describes how they were caught in detail.

source: www.al.com

Details emerge on cop arrests

Posted by SUSAN DAKER February 08, 2008 6:40 AM

An investigation into police misconduct will go beyond the arrest of two patrolmen charged with felony possession of crack-cocaine, Mobile Chief Phillip Garrett said Thursday.

"We would like to think it stops with this," Garrett said. "Wherever it goes, we need to go with it."

Both Desmond Ryan Brooks, 28, and Aaron Porter, 32, have bonded out of Mobile County Metro Jail and have been suspended with pay from the force.

On Wednesday, officers arrested the 3rd Precinct patrolmen after finding less than an ounce of crack-cocaine in each of the officer's possession.

"I don't think they were selling. ... I don't think they were using. I don't know what they were doing," Garrett said in an interview from his office at police headquarters.

But, the chief said, "I do believe they knew what each other were doing."

However, an affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search Brooks' home and vehicle said the police received information that Brooks was involved in illegal "shake downs," when answering calls involving possible drugs or money. "Specifically that Officer Brooks was unlawfully seizing money and converting it to his personal use," the affidavit said.

The affidavit, obtained from the Mobile County District Attorney's Office, describes how two undercover officers set up Brooks to see if he would take drugs and money without reporting it. Brooks took the bait and did not report what he found, according to the affidavit.

Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said the affidavit speaks for itself.

"The good news is that the good guys got a couple of bad guys," he said.

He added that it is obvious the "the police chief does not put up with any foolishness."

No one answered the door at either of the patrolmen's homes Thursday afternoon, and Garrett said he was unsure if the men had hired lawyers.

Both patrolmen were in the same squad -- typically about 10 officers assigned to a specific shift.

An internal hearing will be held next week to determine the men's future with the department, Garrett said. The officers could be fired before any criminal trial gets underway, he said.

Brooks, of Theodore, was released on $8,500 in bail on two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, a charge of theft of lost property and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. Brooks is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing on Feb. 20.

Porter was released on $5,000 in bail on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Porter, of Mobile, is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing on Feb. 19.

Brooks, an eight-year veteran of the force, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after officers searched his home and found a few grams of crack-cocaine and about $360 in cash, said Deputy Chief Jim Barber. According to the affidavit, $360 was the amount of money left in a vacant house as bait to see if Brooks would take it.

Barber said he did not know the precise amount of crack-cocaine, and that the Drug Enforcement Agency was weighing it.

In addition to searching Brooks' home, officers searched his car and found a small amount of marijuana, Barber said.

Brooks is charged with theft of lost property because Garrett said that while Brooks did not necessarily steal the cash, it did not belong to him. The officer obtained the cash, in addition to the drugs, while he was on duty, Garrett said.

Following Brooks' arrest, Porter, a rookie, was taken into custody after officers searched the premises of his home and found less than an ounce of crack-cocaine, Barber said.

Garrett said the information leading to the second officer's arrest Wednesday night "came up pretty quickly," but he did not elaborate.

The investigation started about a week ago when a department employee sat in the chief's office and raised concerns about certain officers, Garrett said.

Other officers names have been mentioned in connection with the inquiry, Garrett said, but at this point he does not believe those allegations are true. Internal affairs investigators will continue to follow any leads, he said.

"If it's over, it's over," Garrett said.

Garrett did not detail the allegations but said they were too serious to wait until after Mardi Gras to follow up on. The department immediately launched a criminal investigation, he said.

According to the search warrant affidavit, on Fat Tuesday, two undercover officers placed a pre-determined amount of crack-cocaine and $360 in a vacant house located at 1002 Basil Street, just north of downtown.

The undercover officer placed a call to a police operator, reporting drug activity at the location and described himself as a security guard for Bishop State Community College.

Then, the undercover officer asked a confidential informant to wait in the parking lot of Bishop State. The informant was told to advise Brooks that he saw several black men going to a vacant house and getting drugs.

Brooks arrived on the scene and talked with the informant, then retrieved the drugs and money from the vacant house and put it in his police cruiser, according to affidavit.

Brooks never reported seizing either the drugs or the money, and did not turn them in to the department's property or evidence section, the affidavit said.

The affidavit does not mention Porter, the other arrested officer.

The search warrant was returned to the district attorney's office listing the items seized at Brooks' home. The list included $360, which had the same serial numbers as the money placed at the vacant house, plastic bags containing the drugs, a box of "crack pipes" and three guns. Other money was also confiscated, the affidavit said.

Before this week, neither patrolmen had had any noteworthy disciplinary problems, nor had they received any commendations for good work, Garrett said.

He said that since the arrests, the department has confiscated all of the equipment issued to the officers, including their guns and police cruisers.

Garrett said preventing police corruption is partly the responsibility of those in charge and that he plans to discuss with supervisors ways to avert further problems.

On Thursday morning, Garrett spoke with Capt. Dewayne Hill, who has been the 3rd Precinct's acting commander since late last year. Thursday was the officers' squad's usual day off, but they will be briefed on the situation when they return to work, Garrett said.

He said the squad should be relieved that Porter and Brooks have been suspended, because their actions have brought embarrassment and discredit to the department. However, it wasn't easy for officers to arrest two of their own, Garrett said.

"We do have compassion for them," he said.