Police Corruption Blues: Red Flags & Black Marks
Elaine Thomas, the Philadelphia officer who received the wrist-slap discipline, received full support from Philadelphia’s police union –- the Fraternal Order of Police. Thomas is a minor official in the FOP.
The FOP had threatened to protest outside of the PAB in support of Thomas and in opposion to a plan by Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner to allow the news media to attend the normally private Board of Inquiry hearing.
Commissioner Charles Ramsey revoked his invitation for the media to attend the Thomas hearing, contending the hearing room was too small to accommodate reporters. He rejected claims that FOP pressure had prompted his reversal.
Earlier this year the FOP bragged about its clout when an arbitrator’s ruling forced the PPD to rehire an officer fired in 2011 after police investigators had videotaped that officer stealing money and drugs from suspected criminals.
That videotape, and other evidence developed by police Internal Affairs, followed reports from victims, confirmed by other police who had observed the misconduct, which was later reported in news media accounts.
During that officer’s termination from the PPD, the FOP paid him to perform odd jobs at the union’s headquarters.
Corrupt and brutal officers in Philadelphia, if they are discharged, often manage to regain their police positions through an arbitration process that is weighted in favor of the FOP thanks to the FOP’s ability to select sympathetic arbitrators and otherwise manipulate the process.
The FOP had threatened to protest outside of the PAB in support of Thomas and in opposion to a plan by Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner to allow the news media to attend the normally private Board of Inquiry hearing.
Commissioner Charles Ramsey revoked his invitation for the media to attend the Thomas hearing, contending the hearing room was too small to accommodate reporters. He rejected claims that FOP pressure had prompted his reversal.
Earlier this year the FOP bragged about its clout when an arbitrator’s ruling forced the PPD to rehire an officer fired in 2011 after police investigators had videotaped that officer stealing money and drugs from suspected criminals.
That videotape, and other evidence developed by police Internal Affairs, followed reports from victims, confirmed by other police who had observed the misconduct, which was later reported in news media accounts.
During that officer’s termination from the PPD, the FOP paid him to perform odd jobs at the union’s headquarters.
Corrupt and brutal officers in Philadelphia, if they are discharged, often manage to regain their police positions through an arbitration process that is weighted in favor of the FOP thanks to the FOP’s ability to select sympathetic arbitrators and otherwise manipulate the process.
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