Seriously, what is going on with our local LEOs?

[eldirector]

Greenwood police officer suspended after parking lot incident - 13 WTHR

I'm thinking one of 2 things:
1) This type of bad behavior has been going on forever, and the news is just now covering it.
2) Somewhere along the line we picked up a bunch of yahoos, and the problem will slowly work out as folks get canned and departments re-hire quality officers.

This is not a "bash" thread. I seriously want to know when and why all these LEO issues started. It seems that every week someone is getting busted for something. My wife pins it on the huge hiring push under Peterson. She thinks they deputized anyone who could breath. Yes, I know the link above wasn't IMPD.....

BTW: If *I* left my kid in the car, smelled of alcohol, refused a breathalyzer, and drove off, I would NOT get administrative leave. I'd be arrested and jailed.

 

[christman]

Its not whats new that is going on. It's the media/people that are making it a weekly event to have it in the news. Its always been there. Just not publicized.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Its not whats new that is going on. It's the media/people that are making it a weekly event to have it in the news. Its always been there. Just not publicized.

I think this hits it on the head. There have always been LEOs doing stupid ****, its just now more of the incidents are making it into the news. Years ago it would have never been that big of a deal, kind of like DUI and domestic violence. Not saying it is right, just saying it was accepted. Since there have been numerous high-profile incidents in the news it is not accepted as it once was. Its too bad that the possibility of getting caught and prosecuted doesn't completely eliminate the bad behavior of some LEOs.

I was one of hundreds of IPD officers hired during the reign of Peterson. One of his early goals was to put 200 new officers on the street as quickly as possible. He reached that goal, and the background investigations were done correctly and completely. After the first 200, and right around the time of the merge between IPD and MCSD, there was another push to add a lot more officers to the department and the background checks weren't as thorough and people with questionable backgrounds/reputations were hired anyway. Part of the problem was (and still is) having huge recruit classes and not enough investigators to do the backgrounds.

 

[phylodog]

Going farther back I believe you started to see a decline in the quality of the applicants when the Rodney King incident made headlines and the media outlets discovered that bad cop stories were more controversial and sold more papers than anything else they could report on. The overall opinion of LE in this country has been on a steady decline since then and as a result those who once would have considered it a noble profession have decided to go another route.

IMPD, like most departments, have a lot of fantastic officers who got into the profession for the right reasons, know their job, take it seriously and try their best to do what is right all of the time. The fact of the matter is that there aren't enough good quality people signing up for the job and when you couple that with the other issues which affect the hiring process you end up with people wearing the badge who shouldn't be.

 

[Fenway]

How did Denny get on?

and the background investigations were done correctly and completely.

 

[E5RANGER375]

not only would a citizen be arrested, but then you would lose your license if you refused further testing after the pbt. he wont get arrested now because they lost the evidence. oh, wait, never mind, on this incident they didnt even collect any evidence. where can I get one of these get out of jail tin foil cracker jack badges at?

at least they put him on UNPAID leave!!! IMPD hasnt even done that in the last incidents. The sgt that arrived on scene should have arrested this guy! bad choice to let this potential drunk driver go and maybe kill an innocent person (maybe his own kid). If that would have happened I would have expected the sgt to go to jail for an accessory to manslauter too!

edit: the scary part in all this is that these police officers (for lack of a better term) arent afraid of acting up. do they just know incidents will be brushed under the rug by their fellow officers, or do they think they can just bully citizens around because they have a badge? maybe both? either way we must give these bad cops a reason to fear getting caught. tougher penalties for bad cops is my solution. if you break the law as a cop you get double the sentence that a civilian would. and I think we need to stop letting police departments investigate their own.

 

[phylodog]

How did Denny get on?

Now that's a whole 'nother story right there.....

I'm kidding of course. I'll say this, if there were 1700 Denny's or Frank_N_Steins in this city the local news would be conducting layoffs.

 

[Fenway]

I'm kidding of course. I'll say this, if there were 1700 Denny's in this city the local news would be conducting layoffs.

 

[eldirector]

I kinda figured this behavior has been going on forever, just behind the "thin blue line". I know cops are just regular people with a tough job, so all kinds will be on the force. I have several LEO friends, and they are all stand-up guys. It's just too bad some are idiots, and their co-workers and bosses let it go. Apply the same rules as everyone else, and I'd bet these stories disappear.

Thanks for the background info, Frank-n-Stein. I'll try not to hold the Bart thing against you

Maybe the media spotlight will help them clean house and tighten up policies/procedures. Or, for the tin-foil crowd, lead to cover-ups and conspiracies.

 

[PatriotPride]

Wow. It's a known fact that if any non-LEO citizen out there pulled this kind of stunt, they'd be in cuffs and charged as we speak. This officer is EXTREMELY lucky that he wasn't shot as he reached for his firearm. The badge means nothing. I'll say it again: the badge means nothing. If you are in plain-clothes and reaching for a firearm (ESPECIALLY in the manner that this officer did) you should be prepared to catch a bullet. Anyone can buy a badge and stick it in their wallet.

If you're: plainclothes, smell of alcohol, are not being responsible with your child, and reach for and display a firearm, I'll regard you as a threat and react accordingly. Flashing around a shiny piece of metal won't change that.

It saddens me every time I see of another incident with a crooked LEO. Accountability is lacking, and this needs to be changed.

 

[jontheturboguy]

This clown and his broher are both sons of the former Greenwood pd chief. Both have felonies from dealing narcotics in high school, yet are on a police force. Now Nick goes and does this. Unacceptable. Both him and his brother need to resign in my opinion ....

 

[Denny347]

How did Denny get on?

 

[hornadylnl]

Nice, they even sent 2 squad cars to his house to intimidate the media.

 

[level.eleven]

This clown and his broher are both sons of the former Greenwood pd chief. Both have felonies from dealing narcotics in high school, yet are on a police force. Now Nick goes and does this. Unacceptable. Both him and his brother need to resign in my opinion ....

Wow, is this true? Law enforcers with felony convictions?

 

[Bigum1969]

I just don't get why it is okay for the LEO to refuse a breath test?

 

[sparky241]

I just don't get why it is okay for the LEO to refuse a breath test?

that should be an automatic suspension of his license right? no license no job right. then why is he still employed as his job requires him to have a valid license and he shouldnt at this time. Refuse a test and see if you get to keep your license.

 

[Yamaha]

Going farther back I believe you started to see a decline in the quality of the applicants when the Rodney King incident made headlines and the media outlets discovered that bad cop stories were more controversial and sold more papers than anything else they could report on. The overall opinion of LE in this country has been on a steady decline since then and as a result those who once would have considered it a noble profession have decided to go another route.

IMPD, like most departments, have a lot of fantastic officers who got into the profession for the right reasons, know their job, take it seriously and try their best to do what is right all of the time. The fact of the matter is that there aren't enough good quality people signing up for the job and when you couple that with the other issues which affect the hiring process you end up with people wearing the badge who shouldn't be.

Hell, too many people who got in as a "job" have let the power go to their heads.....I see that in madison county. I applied for both madison and state only to get passed over, and I wanted it for a career.... I just don't know many people in power and not a "daddy ask your friend" person

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Nice, they even sent 2 squad cars to his house to intimidate the media.

The article says all the officer did was ask the media reps to stay off his property. I would think that had the reporter been "intimidated" it would have been included in the story.

that should be an automatic suspension of his license right? no license no job right. then why is he still employed as his job requires him to have a valid license and he shouldnt at this time. Refuse a test and see if you get to keep your license.

If a person is being investigated for DUI, their license will be suspended if they refused a certified chemical test, specifically a breath test on a state-certified instrument or a blood test at a state-approved location. PBTs are not admissible in court and there is no law saying that anyone has to submit to one.

 

[Gabriel]

The problem is that the average Joe Pubic has become more and more corrupt and is more likely to lie about police officer actions. This is becoming quite the phenomenon lately and has gotten many an innocent police officer in trouble.

 

[IndyMonkey]

The problem is that the average Joe Pubic has become more and more corrupt and is more likely to lie about police officer actions. This is becoming quite the phenomenon lately and has gotten many an innocent police officer in trouble.

Well that's a new twist on things.