NW District drug unit disbanded amid investigations
[Here's the link to the full story, which appears in Thursday's paper]
City police have disbanded the plainclothes unit that investigates drugs in Northwest Baltimore amid allegations of misconduct against at least three officers in two different units, the department confirmed.
Six officers who comprise the Northwest District drug unit were sent back to patrol amid the suspension of the unit’s supervisor and one officer, who are accused of using a stolen license plate on an unmarked vehicle, said Anthony Guglielmi, the department’s chief spokesman.
Separately, an officer assigned to the elite Violent Crimes Impact Section (VCIS) was suspended last week after being targeted in an internal affairs “integrity sting,” which is typically used to catch officers pocketing drugs or money.
Guglielmi confirmed that the officer was suspended and that police were conferring with the state’s attorney’s office on charges, but would not comment further. Sources identified the officer as Kody Taylor, a three-year veteran, and said he is accused of pocketing money planted on an undercover officer.
“These are internal personnel matters being investigated by internal affairs,” Guglielmi said. “We’re going to determine if there’s any criminal component to this, and if there is, we’ll work with the state’s attorney’s office’s police misconduct unit.”
The breaking up of the Northwest drug unit comes amid a slew of shootings in the district, which includes the Arlington, Park Heights, and Reisterstown Station neighborhoods. Six people were shot in the district between Friday morning and Sunday night.
More in tomorrow's paper and online.
Categories: Breaking news, Northwest Baltimore
Comments
If the cops are crooked, they should be in prison. For a long time.
Posted by: RobertJ | September 29, 2010 4:55 PM
Corruption in prosecuting the War on Drugs? Shocking......
Posted by: JAS | September 29, 2010 5:04 PM
That's nothing new. These same so called undercover drug unit police take teenagers lunches from burger king, take and keep the allowance they have in their pocket and then eat the kids food. This place is a joke.
Posted by: iallotey@yahoo.com | September 29, 2010 5:36 PM
Wow-Baltimore police corrupt "NO WAY",let me guess they are suspended with pay(vacation)until the end of the investigation is over-that will teach them-what a joke.
Posted by: Heracio Harris | September 29, 2010 6:20 PM
Interesting that this units suspension occurs after the election for State's Attorney.
I have long thought that a good portion -- not the majority, but certainly a significant portion -- of BPD officers were either incompetent or on the take, or both.
And I also contend that the SAO was hamstrung by the police department's issues, from corruption to incompetence.
I'm not in the least surprised by this revelation, nor do I expect these sorts of "discoveries" to cease.
Posted by: Bougie_Negro | September 29, 2010 10:56 PM
The whole comprises the part, the parts compose the whole. Six officers do not COMPRISE something.
Thanks - as you can see in the print version that I link to, my editors/copy editors did catch that. -JF
Posted by: Grammarian | September 30, 2010 11:18 AM
Sounds like the cops have been tried and convicted in the Sunpapers. They must be guilty. Why do we need the courts & SAO. NEXT CASE PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Judge Roy Bean | October 1, 2010 10:18 PM
I know of one who posted a vid on u tube of him getting the drugs and another vid of him playing pranks on officers while working. This is what we pay taxes for?
Posted by: Theresa Fraley | November 1, 2010 5:49 PM