Fostering Hate and Distrust: A How-To For Police Officers
Considering the hype surrounding nasty, corrupt law enforcement these days, it seems in vogue to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the 2011 scandal involving a New York police officer who framed innocent people for drug offenses.
Yes, Detective Jason Arbeeny got in trouble in 2011 for planting crack on a couple of youthful lovebirds in 2007. ‘Crack’ is a shortened term which means ‘crack cocaine’. According to witnesses Yvelisse DeLeon and Juan Figueroa (who, by the way, were smear targets Arbeeny’s eager-to-discredit attorney), the boyfriend and girlfriend had arrived at their apartment complex on Coney Island when two cops walked up. DeLeon and Figueroa then watched as one of the officers (good ole Detective Arbeeny) deftly placed a small bag of something in the victims’ car.
“He brought out his pocket. He said, ‘Look what I find.’ It looked like little powder in a little bag,” said DeLeon to the courtroom in the aftermath.
Later on, an ex-detective by the name of Stephen Anderson told the court that cops in drug units like Arbeeny’s framed innocent people for drugs on a regular basis. His statement is only strengthened by the fact that Arbeeny faced accusations of stealing bags of coke from his prisoner van — accusations which also came in 2007.
Hey — who put all this corruption back here?
While Arbeeny got off the hook for stealing little bags of coke from his police van (because let’s face it, he probably did), 2011 proved to be the year he’d face the music. Justice Gustin L. Reichbach of the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn was officially charged with falsification of business records, using a false instrument for filing, and official misconduct. He earned a maximum of four years behind bars, which of course are over by now (2016).
Justice Reichbach also gave the whole New York Police Department a lecture on being corrupt and stuff:
“I thought I was not naive. But even this court was shocked, not only by the seeming pervasive scope of misconduct but even more distressingly by the seeming casualness by which such conduct is employed.”
Shocked! He was shocked! He also used a very cute phrase to describe the social norms within New York City’s drug units — “cowboy culture.” Basically, Justice Reichbach was rightfully upset over something that pretty much everybody knows or suspects: that the so-called war on drugs has quite expectedly created a wild, wild west of opportunities for cops to abuse their power while making some extra cash.
He also pointed out that an officer’s “refusal to go along with questionable practices raise the specter of blacklisting and isolation.” Peer pressure isn’t just for teens? Shocking!
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At Turner Law Offices, P.C., our team of criminal attorneys has years of experience working with clients across a wide range of cases involving police misconduct and abuses of power. If you’ve experienced an encounter with police officers that resulted in an injustice, the first step is definitely to seek trustworthy legal representation. You’re about to contest the word of The Man, so you’ll need it. Call today, or go online to set up your free initial consultation, and meet with a skilled lawyer who’s ready and waiting to do guide you toward the justice you deserve — even if it means contradicting the almighty narrative of government employees.
