The NYPD Tapes Confirmed

[xchrom]

http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-03-07/news/the-nypd-tapes-confirmed/


Photography: Henry Hargreaves, Prop Styling: Sarah Guido

In 2010, The Village Voice produced a five-part series, the "NYPD Tapes," about a cop who secretly taped his fellow New York Police Department officers.

For more than two years, Adrian Schoolcraft secretly recorded every roll call at the 81st Precinct in Brooklyn and captured his superiors urging police officers to do two things in order to manipulate the "stats" that the department is under pressure to produce: Officers were told to arrest people who were doing little more than standing on the street, but they were also encouraged to disregard actual victims of serious crimes who wanted to file reports.

Arresting bystanders made it look like the department was efficient, while artificially reducing the amount of serious crime made the commander look good.

In October 2009, Schoolcraft met with NYPD investigators for three hours and detailed more than a dozen cases of crime reports being manipulated in the district. Three weeks after that meeting—which was supposed to have been kept secret from Schoolcraft's superiors—his precinct commander and a deputy chief ordered Schoolcraft to be dragged from his apartment and forced into the Jamaica Hospital psychiatric ward for six days.

In the wake of our series, NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly ordered an investigation into Schoolcraft's claims. By June 2010, that investigation produced a report that the department has tried to keep secret for nearly two years.

[surfdog]

1. This is a conspiracy...

To protect criminals

People should be sitting in jail right now

Imagine that ...the New York police department hatches a conspiracy to protect protect criminals , while targeting innocent people

[RC]

2. Safer for the cops that way.

Real criminals have been known to be dangerous.

[lunatica]

3. Stories like this that come out are proof the police state has been alive and well

It really isn't a matter of 'becoming' a police state anymore. We're it now.

When each precinct is it's own little Dictatorship then it's a done deal.

[randome]

6. That's not a police state.

It's an out-of-control, abhorrent police DEPARTMENT. That's a little different.

[lunatica]

11. That was but one example

But whatever...

[malaise]

4. Serpico version 2.0

One of these days the shit will hit the fan

[backscatter712]

8. Among NYPD and other police departments, "Serpico" is a nasty epithet.

It's considered as offensive as calling a black person the n-bomb.

"I can't trust a partner who isn't on the take - he might be a fucking Serpico. Last time we had one of those, he didn't live to regret it!"

[KansDem]

5. Well, there you have it...

For all who come to the defense of cops who perfrom summary executions using tasers, what would they say to this?

[ZombieHorde]

7. Wow. A good cop. Awesome. nt

[backscatter712]

9. It's depressing how rare they are. n/t

[Dawson Leery]

10. K/R

Adrien Schoolcraft is today's Serpico.

[sabrina 1]

15. Yes, I was just thinking that. I hope they make a movie of his story also.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, xchrom.

[Tom Ripley]

13. The traditions of Lt Charles Becker continue

[sabrina 1]

14. After his revelations, his home was invaded by the NYPD and he was forced into

a psychiatric ward where he stayed for several days, airc. Raymond Kelly should resign. His department has been rife with corruption and bullying and racism.

I am so glad this story is finally getting some attention. That was a good cop, but his treatment shows why the good cops often remain silent.

Shame on them. Schoolcraft should have been given a medal for his courage as I'm sure he knew well his revelations would not be taken kindly by the NYPD.