It's just the police acting like police; Filling their pockets. Sending a little back home to Dominica.We've been reading stories like this one for a century. How many probes of police have been conducted? It's just too tempting for some cops to pass up. So they risk their jobs, their pensions, their loyalty to fellow cops. Poor dumb cops.
A sad and embarrassing day for NYPD.
I keep hearing "victimless crimes"—
I don't think so. They're often hidden beneath the surface.
Perhaps the greatest future deterrent is utter rebuke from their "brotherhood" officers—loud and clear, with utter disgust.
8
The power the state gives a police officer is addicting.It causes some to think they are a law unto themselves.I doubt if there is any screening to that could accurately screen racist,sexist or other disqualifying behavior that would bar hiring.To think only the ones charged knew anything about these brothels is naive. The sad part is that more than likely many other officers knew and turned a blind eye because of the Blue Wall Myth. Will Blue Wall Myth of silence ever be cracked seriously i doubt it.
13
Agree!! Let’s legalize and make sure women start getting the profits for their work...
And thank you to all the good cops who went after these bad cop criminals! Time to break down the thin blue line of complicity... on all fronts!
18
People are so naive, We have a police problem across the board, it's nation wide.
2
The saga will continue, most predictably with witness tampering, subornation of perjury, a lack of seizure and forfeitures of the ill-gotten gains... The news here is that they are being prosecuted at all. Released on their own recognizance? - Pffffft! What infinitesimally small hint of veracity do their character attributes have to warrant that consideration?
3
I know a lot of people are criticizing the police, but who are the victims? Let us not forget our ancient Greek history. Cleisthenes is credited for having invented democracy and is quoted as saying that affordable prostitution was the key to a peaceful democratic society. When the poor can't afford brothels, it causes a breakdown of the democratic social order. Half-priced brothels is something to be appreciated, not demonized. If Amazon could do it, it would. The real victims are the full-priced brothels who were losing business, and of course, the poor, and those who don't want to pay retail prices. What's the point of having Trump in the White House if the half-priced Houses of the Rising Sun aren't allowed to provide jobs?
3
Racketeers, pure and simple.There are few specimens as sleazy as corrupt cops but to organize themselves into an ongoing criminal enterprise is a stain upon the NYC Police Dept. I hope they put them away forever.
4
Forever?
@Kevin Barclay
Until they are beyond any ability or desire to re-offend or to influence others to break the law. So how long is that.
These types of corruption run in cycles. It's a family affair for Mr. Paz, his wife and his two step-daughters. As long as money is involved there will always be corrupt police. The surprise here is one of their own defied the blue wall of silence and turned them in. I'm sure other police officers know about them but decided best to turn their heads and allow the criminal behavior to proceed.
3
Exactly why prostitution and gambling should be legalized and run by the state. It would stop corruption like this as well as generate a great deal of capital for the state that could be put to good use like in education. As well as save tax payers money on enforcement. Clean up the streets and help slow the spread of STDs. Besides this has been going on and will go on no matter how many arrest they make. They don’t call it the worlds oldest profession for nothing.
23
@J Clark
Agreed, but instead we legalize pot...
1
Absolutely! Even more important is the fact that most people think that we should go after the supply side of an issue and not the demand side. If those who are opposed to prostitution and illegal drugs were to have those desiring these products, the demand side, put to death the issue would wither away. But no. Following the ignorance of their fathers (and mothers) the majority of elected officials will continue to make the same mistakes and continue to pass all the related costs down to the rest of us.
The most shocking part- charging only $40 for a sexual encounter. And arresting a prostitute charging $100. What’s the going price for selling your mind, your ethics?
Way past time to legalize, regulate the sex industry. And apparently, from this and other stories, time to rethink the kinds of people being hired by police departments.
5
This article is newsworthy but let's not lose sight of the fact that there are over 30,000 NYPD uniformed officers, 99.9% of whom are trying to do the right thing.
5
Did the N.Y. P.D. learning nothing from the whole SERPICO era almost 50 years ago. Seems corruption and criminal aactivity go hand in glove with at least a few of "New York`s Finest"; and the more things change/ the more they remain the same. Are the watch dogs of internal affairs asleep at the switch?Heads need to roll for this.
3
This business arrangement was a well conceived and executed operation. There was method, means and motive with a pile of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The NYCHA could use this organization to manage the maintenance backlog.
2
All of those #AllLivesMatter folks wanted us to believe that all cops were saints. Awkward.
7
If the policemen who allegedly committed these acts are found guilty and their families ultimately receive their pensions, then justice has not been served. No pensions. No health care. Justice might look like time in prison with fellow inmates have their own codes of justice and where former cops don't fare well.
9
And how many other cops knew what was going on and didn’t report it...the blue shield is a disgrace!
7
Notwithstanding O'Neill's Scoutmaster's scolding, the case surprises no one who has seen the NYPD sink lower and lower into degradation and alienation from the citizens over many years.
"Foot Patrols", "Beat Cop", and "Shoe Leather" have been laughable figures of speech at least since the early years of Raymond Kelly's regime.
NYPD cops never walk. They sit in parked cars playing on their smart phones and tablets. They snarl at civilians, shout out the foulest language around passers by, even children, and maintain a demeanor expressing contempt for the public.
The militarization of the police since 911 has accelerated the trend toward making them an army of occupation.
9
They were released on their own recognizances?
8
The location of the brothels are in heavy immigrant neighborhoods. Brothels are still big in immigrant countries and they bring it over here. I don't see TRUMP fighting that. In his heyday, I am sure he frequented the Russian ones in Little Odessa
6
@ibeetb. And take note of the names of officers.....probably immigrants themselves, or first generation.
1
Wait! "The accused officers have a stack of wrongful-arrest and excessive force complaints and lawsuits over the years."
Time for the Republicans to bust the most corrupt and powerful union in the U.S.: The PBA
2
"The best cops money can buy." Attributed to a NYO FBI agent I knew, circa 1977. Some things never change.
3
This is a direct result of the climate of fear, greed a corruption orchestrated by trump to destabilize America. He runs a brutal police state. What do you expect?
@Fred Police corruption and brutality never occurred before Trump became President, right?
In places where the world's oldest profession is legal this wouldn't happen.
8
I am sorry to say but I correctly guessed the ethnicity of the offenders. Houston we have a problem.
4
Just curious. Did you correctly guess the ethnicity of the corrupt detectives who falsely secured the convictions of scores of accused NY’ers, oh say... 10 years ago?? Here’s a hint.. I think they croaked in prison.
1
Years ago (pre- Serpico) when a police corruption scandal surfaced the powers that be tsk, tsk'd that you can't besmirch an entire force of hard working law abiding professionals. What followed next was the old saw that " a few bad apples can't ruin a barrel full of good ones". Not true, never was and never will be.
Human nature is rearing its head again; every generation rediscovers its basest past by committing the sins and crimes of their predecessors . Corruption is too tasty a meal to not revisit again. It happened many times in the past and will happen many more times into the future, particularly with a trumplike President who sings the praises of the police while overlooking all their excesses, greed and malevolence.
So sit back relax and lets wait for the next Knapp Commission to faux shock the city that gambling, prostitution and corruption was taking place in Gotham.
4
Rather than dealing drugs, now women's bodies will be the new commodity. They can be sold repeatedly. I hope they throw the book at these criminals who traffic them.
6
Anybody willing to take bets on this plays out? I have never met a poor cop or politician that didn’t use the system to their personal advantage. It’s no longer a question of who, it’s all about the degrees. There’s not one of them out there that can’t be called out for a serious violation. What keeps it going is that everyone in the system has taken a bite of the forbidden fruit and is unwilling to point a finger until it hits close to home. It’s nothing new, all over the news just about every day.
3
“Although it’s a step backward, it’s an episode that our city and the N.Y.P.D. will rebound from together.”
Really? Thats the best on offer?
Who amongst us believes - or is even capable of believing at this point - such hollow sounding tripe?
4
Hope they all go away for a long long time!
1
Yeah sure, we all totally believe that these are the only officers who knew about it.
4
It is hard to believe that in 2018 a brothel is still a criminal enterprise. Europe is light years ahead of us.
4
“was allowed to pay $20 for an encounter with a prostitute that would normally cost $40”
!!! “normally”? You make it sound like he got a discount on a microwave, not the fact that even $40 to exploit and abuse a human being is terrible in itself.
8
I am shocked, shocked that these policemen might be corrupt. Oh wait, I’m not.
2
Let’s cut to the chase
(1) cops apparently don’t need to abide by the law
(2) civilians do, particularly when anything other than identifying as “cop”
3
Sex trafficking is the number one concern here. 1) what were the ages of the prostitutes? 2) were each of them interviewed to learn under what circumstances they were recruited? 3) How old were they? How old were they? How old were they? This crime is larger than being reported.
7
It's amazing that internal affairs only catches non-white police officers doing crime in the NYPD, fascinating. Guess they'll learn the hard way they're not white.
2
Thank goodness. This bust will finally end prostitution after 5,000 years. Taxpayer dollars well spent on prosecuting this....
7
Biggest gang in the country wears blue.
2
Between the Priest and the Police???? I just know this. I would never go to either for help.
2
There have been so many significant NYPD scandals in recent years that I am mystified that The New York Times suggest it can distinguish among the severity of them or state with a straight face that New Yorkers haven’t seen corruption like this within the NYPD since the 1950s.
It is obvious that the NYPD is in need of a major overhaul and the imposition of serious accountability, and the best place to start is with the elimination of the NYPD unions.
2
Big waste of time and money. Legalized prostitution, which is the case in most of the civilized world, reduces sexual assaults by well over 50%.
5
It doesn’t matter when the so-called “good cops” always protect the crooked ones (ie, blue code of silence).
That makes them all dirty.
2
So this is not just a NYC problem. This is common in every city and town across this country, maybe not sexual but drugs and gambling are in every part of our society and where there is money to be made you can be sure some one in law enforcement is tacking his or her cut. Guaranteed!!
2
I'm so lost. First the Catholic Church. Now the NYPD. What's next, Doctors Without Borders?
1
A perfect example that the problems go even deeper. We read that even with overwhelming evidence in this case these men are 'released on their own recognizance'. This weak law demands to be re-evaluated and one would expect that the Chief of Police and The Mayor would put their expertise together and address that issue.
Ex New Yorker.
6
Of course they were released on rod, now they will have plenty of time to put in resignation papers to receive their pensions, the honest policemen will be coated with the same brush and will be hampered in working for the citizens of NYC. A turnstile jumper will serve more time since they will be unable to pay their fines. When found guilty they will get probation and community service and their ill gotten gains will remain with them, and of course their families will all say they didn't know. These are not victimless crimes, the women will be sentenced, the gamblers families have lost millions of dollars , because of wrong choices
4
@RYR.G
bail is not supposed to be a punishment. do you think these men are a danger to society? do you think they won't show up in court? those two issues are what bail is supposed to address.
1
$20 off a brothel visit? $500 weekly installments? The only way you could justify jeopardizing your career for that level of mediocrity is if you didn't expect to face any significant consequence.
Expecting to avoid any significant consequences also might result in "a stack of wrongful-arrest and excessive force complaints and lawsuits over the years."
8
This is good, old fashion, police corruption at its finest. Just as it was in the old days.
Prostitution, numbers rackets, payoffs, bribes, tipoffs: all of the traditional aspects of police corruption. I get a sense of nostalgia for these things. Soon, some DA will take credit for his brilliant takedown of this bunch, when in reality a stoolie came through and spilled the beans.
4
And where are the Blue Lives Matter crowd now that this is going down?
Nice to see the people in Blue are just as flawed as everyone else.
3
Well, we constantly are reminded that nobody is above the law. Let's see if these police officers ever spend a moment in prison. They won't. They will likely keep their jobs as well as their pensions.
Sadly, those who are paid to enforce the law are above it.
3
They probably released them hoping they'll do something stupid to cover there tracks and then even have more evidence. This is when desperate crooks start making the real mistakes and it gives them time to think about who they want to rat out.
3
Geez....what a waste. Legalize and tax that brothel. Make sure the workers have medical treatment, are paid a fair wage (on 1099), and are there by choice.
11
I feel for their kids who have to face peers and know their dads/moms are perverts and criminals.
Sad and pathetically criminal. And we citizens paid these criminals’ salaries and pensions while they fed their greed and perversion.
3
Since the evidence was overwhelming they should have been kept in jail. Instead they are free. That is why the public will have distrust with bad cops. They need to loose their gun permits and remove any guns from their homes. Hopefully not be allowed back in uniform and not receive any pays or pensions.
44
@D.j.j.k.
I am sure that they will keep their pensions.
2
Seven out of around 50,000 officers and detectives in NYC. Wow! It is amazing that so few are involved. I'll bet that more financial managers are doing much more illegal or immoral things than that.
Thank you honest cops!
1
@Hank There may be more naughty boys in blue Who didn't get caught, and prolly won't...thousands, even hundreds.
2
7 were caught committing crimes.
Many others haven't been caught.
1
@Heckler
Look how many Catholic priests and bosses are naughty world wide. The whole NY police force may be corrupt. Look how morally bankrupt your Mayor Rudy is. When your leaders are bad so will the people be who support him. Look at Trump and the GOP . I could go on and on but this is enough to open some eyes.
Funny, the women officers cry for their families, but didn't cry for the young ladies of the evenings families'.
10
Not that I approve of this conduct, but aside from the IRS and NYS income tax who were the victims here?
2
@MIKEinNYC
1. The women who were being exploited.
2. The rule of law.
3. The public trust.
6
@MIKEinNYC
Pimps and traffickers manage their businesses by coercing women with beatings and rapes, by luring and addicting prostitutes with meth amphetamines. These management techniques are a commonplace for pimps and traffickers.
As a libertarian and as a moral matter, I see nothing wrong with officers operating a brothel. I therefore do not see anything wrong morally with officers obstructing an investigation into the violation of a law that I disagree with and with which I take issue. Hopefully, this country will one day become more progressive, will legalized prosititution, and that shall put an end to all of this nonsense. We certainly live in a very puritanical country.
2
Well, you see, here's the problem with your approach: these officers took an oath to uphold the law. That means ALL laws, not just the ones that you or they might agree with. It's not whether or not you agree with those laws, it's whether or not these officers honored the oath they took.
If you can't or won't abide by the oath you took, you need to find another career path.
11
@Seth
Do you really think that you would feel safe if each cop can decide which laws to enforce, which people to target, or makes a habit of accepting bribes and black market money for "services?" That isn't libertarianism, but
chaos and makes us all unsafe. Altho'. it has certainly made people of color less safe than anyone else. For a cop to blatantly violate the law, is a conflict of interest at best. These guys set up a situation where lying is as natural as breathing. In what way does that protect your freedoms?
4
The police corruption persists because our society has a fetish for uniform. We are willing to overlook the most egregious behavior and give the maximum benefit of doubt to them. Combine that with PBA that will protect a guilty police office at any cost and spineless politicians who go along with police demands lest they be seen as weak on crime, are you surprised at the level of police corruption in our society?
Having an independent, elected civil oversight board with power to subpoena and issue criminal charges will be a step in the right direction. Current DAs are too much hand in glove with the police with a rather cosy relationship with them to protect public.
The problem with not punishing rotten police officers is that it erodes the public confidence in law enforcement and hurts honest and hardworking cops. The blue code of silence protect only the guilty and harms the rest of the police force in the long run.
12
Sometimes I think we'd be not much better off just being ruled by gangs.
1
Not surprised. The NYPD, in spite of its vaunted reputation, fed by Hollywood, Rudy Giuliani and other sycophants, is and has always been CORRUPT. By my experience I would say over 50% of the force is somehow “on the take.”
1
@Harpo. Admirable effort at coverup. In our U.S. of A. in house is slang for coverup.
1
This is precisely why prostitution should be legalized, taxed and regulated... Those cops were just performing a public service, if you ask me.
5
Kalief Browder sat on Rikers Island for how long?
2
Legalized and regulated sex worker industry would be a vast improvement over the current system. There will always be prostitution, so why not make it safer and cleaner for all involved?
5
@robert b Legal prostitution has been debated for millennia. It's impact is complicated, and not spread evenly through the social strata.
1
how likely is it that these cops ever see a prison? probably will resign in next few days with full pensions then the evidence will get lost..
6
I do not wish to condone the activities set forth in this article. They are despicable. However, the term "sex trafficking", used by several commenters is, based on the article at least, misplaced. The activity reflected by this article involves promoting prostitution - not sex trafficking. The latter requires the use of force or threats of force or coercion to engage in, or to continue to engage in, prostitution. The accused appear to be nothing more than standard pimps with a badge, not sex traffickers.
2
@anastasios sarikas
Great point about the reporting, except for one problem: "standard pimps" routinely use beatings, rapes, and addictive drugs. These management techniques are a commonplace for both pimps and traffickers. Think of the traffickers as short-term holders of slaves, of the pimps as longer-term slave masters.
As with politicians, police are often chosen because their family and friends recommended them. This is a gross mistake. Further. despite enormous advances in the understanding of human psychology, police are not vetted to determine their character, and yes dishonesty on this level is a form of crazy - it's too reckless to be just about the money, this is about power for the individuals involved. These people are sociopaths. They could have been vetted and rejected by any qualified therapist, but psychology isn'y applied. Like the Priesthood, Policemen have a special kind of power, and that attracts people who crabe that power — to abuse it. The idea of the Mayor or even the Chief of Police as the one who vouches for the men beneath them is laughable because they are not professionally qualified to evaluate them.
3
This shows how quickly people defy oaths and deviate toward daft, selfish paths. No human in this world can keep a promise. And for something as sinful as this is a shame.
I realize that this counts as libel for other, truthful police, but how are we to trust possible criminals?
Nextime I encounter a cop, I will remember that they are as capable to commit crime as any other.
2
@Inconspicuous Makes me think about how so many black men are treated in this country. “I will remember that they are as capable to commit crime as any other.” (black man) Would Botham Jean still be alive if that officer didn’t carry some kind of similar thinking? And I don’t know that she did/does, but she is one of millions who very well could or do.
Imagine the weight of that assumption (by others) over one’s head day in and day out, from nearly every quarter of the society one lives in, for an entire lifetime.
2
And then people wonder why women are reluctant to report sexual assault. People assume the police will care, will take the allegations seriously, and will investigate. Often they do not. It's maddening.
38
The PBA are against any reform- they only look out for themselves.
Their goals are to:
Keep cop salaries as high as possible by raising taxes.
Ensure they do not pay anything towards health care or any benefits.
Ensure they pay nothing into pensions while receiving payouts based on overtime abuse.
They feel they are entitled and above the people they are supposed to serve.
13
Legalize prostitution and control it.
But these guys are scum who are profiting from being cops. If this line of black market money wasn't available they'd find some other way to use their badges to profit.
17
A lot of effort and resources expended by the authorities in targeting victimless crimes. So what if someone is running a brothel? Unless there's evidence that the women working there were doing it under duress, then who in the community is being hurt?
5
@John H. The main problem is that the workers weren't allowed to set their own rates and safe work conditions decrimnow dot com
@John H. Not "someone" - cops. Cops are running illegal businesses. Should those businesses be illegal? Not the relevant question. The relevant question is: what other corruption are the cops involved in? Are they also planting guns on shooting victims? Are they planting drugs on innocent people in order to raise their arrest stats? Are they lying in court when they give testimony? By now we know that cops do all these things, often often often. So often that it's no longer even a surprise.
If police officers can't manage to stick to legal activities, they should be in JAIL. Because they are preying on us, not protecting us. And preying on the women they are prostituting too.
6
@John H.
So you think there is nothing wrong with cops selling out their badges? With betraying other officers? And how do you tell if someone is being forced into prostitution when the crooked cops & the pimps work together?
I live in the community & we ARE being hurt by such betrayal. (Yes, I recognize the precinct house in the photo.) Get off your high horse in Manhattan and see how the rest of the city lives.
2
Corruption in big city police forces continually happens. There are just too many ways to lie, cheat, and steal and too many people living in cities and serving as police for it not to happen. All that can be done is to expect that even when everything seems good and well functioning to look for bad acts and bad actors. There probably are both which might not be obvious. The police who do this are usually resented by other police but it’s a necessary function.
It’s tough for decent, honest police officers and detectives because often they are falsely accused of bad acts by bad people just trying to avoid prosecution, because the crooked police can make all police seem a little less trustworthy.
15
As someone who lives on the other end of the country, I can only hope New Yorkers choose well with their votes for the state Attorney General. It seems the nation's fate is in his/her hands as much as Mueller's.
23
@Jane K
The NYPD is a massively fortified, self-isolated, socio-political leviathan. In the past 40+ years NOBODY has been able to effect any real reform there, least of all a state AG.
Its all just anti-corruption showboating trotted out every now and then when the corruption gets too egregious to ignore.
5
The NYPD has no effective oversight. The Civilian Complaint Board is only empowered to make recommendations, not to actually sanction officers. Corrupt cops can act with impunity because most people know filing complaints against police officers is useless at best and dangerous at worst. Until there is real civilian oversight of the NYPD don't expect much to change.
85
What is so bad about running a brothel? Sure, I would greatly prefer if active law enforcement were not involved in this. But where is the police commissioners outrage when police officers kill innocent or unarmed people?
41
Nice theory for an ideal world where all sex workers are doing so under their own free will and are not trafficked or abused.
4
@S Surely there is plenty of "outrage" among commissioners but it their job to keep it,"in house."
1
@S: Police officers have the ability to threaten and coerce women into doing this work.
Surely Legalizing is the answer. It is the oldest profession in the world, and will always exist.
As Lauren’s post suggests, police usually just turn a blind eye to it. However this selective enforcement only increases danger and corruption, while driving it to the poorer parts of the city.
To say it is “stubbornly persistent” as this article suggests is missing the point entirely.
20
Isn’t obvious that many law-enforcement could be involved in unlawful activities? They know the law (we assume) they have contacts, their friends “liberated” (no police presence) in the areas of operation. How can we trust them? Over and over these types of deeds are discovered. The police is one of the most corrupt bodies out there.
14
“They have diminished the great work of tens of thousands of honest, honorable and ethical cops. And that should make every cop who has ever done this job angry.”
If there are any NYC cops angry about this, it's because they were not invited to join in for a piece of the action.
20
Seriously? One of the do best statements here.
CPR , courtesy, professionalism and respect, this is absolutely crazy, it will take for ever to restore the trust of NYPD, Ny has to many issues with the police department, it sometimes feel that we live in a such corrupt system , from Albany when almost all the leadership is indicted, to the police department now.
14
The "to serve and protect" motto takes on new meaning with this scandal.
Being a cop is a dangerous challenging job, but there's zero excuse for this behavior.
Something's definitely out of wack when a detective is able to "retire" at 51 getting a fat tax payer expense pension, and then can 'mastermind' a criminal operation with big assists from pals on the Force.
Sure makes everyone look bad. Betrayal of the public trust is reprehensible whether it's a cop, clergymen, or president for that matter. Just sayin, "lock them up".
117
Why is it always men who want to legalize prostitution?
It’s so easy to say “this wouldn’t happen if prostitution were legal”, but even a simple google search finds problems, like riskier working conditions for less money, worsening human trafficking to meet demand, sex tourism, all while enriching pimps. This is not a pleasant industry — people who engage in sex work are often poor and desperate, and the power dynamics are not on the worker’s side.
56
@Stephanie B You ask "Why is it always men who want to legalize prostitution?" The answer is that it isn't only men who want to legalize prostitution. I believe that MANY female sex workers would prefer if prostitution was legalized, or at least decriminalized... for exactly the reason that you suggest, people who engage in sex work are often poor and desperate. In a perfect world, these women might choose other work, but in the real world they must feed and clothe themselves and their children. Currently, they are at considerable risk of arrest and abuse because this activity is illegal. Our society doesn't punish women from higher socioeconomic classes who sell themselves as arm candy and sugar babies, in fact, they are celebrated. It's the women who offer sex for relatively small amounts of cash who are punished. And it is often more 'well-off' women who want to keep prostitution illegal, because they find it morally offensive. Poorer women don't have the luxury of such feelings. Legalization would likely put the power dynamic MORE on the side of the sex worker.
55
The studies that I am finding on line are saying the opposite — that workers get less money for riskier work. That pimps make out but workers do not. That trafficking gets worse because of the increased need for sex workers. You are judging me, which is interesting — but all of the people calling for legalization here so far have been men. Poor and desperate sex workers often need help with addiction issues as well. This issue is not for the faint of heart, because it has MANY facets. You are making assumptions on hopes and wishes, not research.
27
@Stephanie B Prostitution is perfectly legal and widespread where I live. The workers are independent consultants and work under written contract. They all have medical insurance. They all pay taxes and set their own rates. I believe trafficking is lower here and the workers do it by choice. There are specialists for geriatrics. There are multiple price points. Given that everything has to be managed according to labor law there is less risk of abuse.
28
Crooked cops!
2
This is incredibly infuriating from a social justice perspective. Human trafficking by police officers, including assault and intimidation of sex workers. I’m waiting for drug charges as well. I’m surprised these guys actually have families who showed up in court for them because they are clearly nasty pieces of human garbage. This is beyond retribution.
The world is going to straight to hell in a handbasket.
32
Webecurious: A brothel visit taking only 15 minutes?? Oh, my!
9
@Drs. Mandrill and Peos Balanitis, and Basha and Wewe Kutomba
Just what would you expect for $40.00?
where's Pat Lynch now?
13
"The question has been asked at least since Roman times: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who guards the guardians? During the 1970s, the answer in New York City was, apparently, "no one." Many of its members took bribes, ran protection rackets, and consorted with criminals. That changed when cops like Frank Serpico and a panel called the Knapp Commission exposed the wrongdoing and ushered in new measures to keep cops from sullying their badges. Amid today's era of protests about policing, what should we know about the cop scandals of the 70s and the way New York City responded?
... Bernard Whalen, an active NYPD lieutenant as a private citizen and the author of a history of the early NYPD, Professor Eli Silverman, an expert on policing policy at John Jay College, and Leonard Levitt, veteran cops reporter who runs the NYPD Confidential site" answer that question....
Shocking conclusions via BRIC TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQmXEB8GHDI
19
The author forgot to compare this to the 1990's Washington Heights precinct where approx. half the officers were involved with drugdealer shakedowns, and drug running. This scandal can't compare to that , but as usual the PBA will defend these guys and a good chance they'll get off or if convicted, a slap on the wrist. Why is this city so beholden to the corrupt NYPD?
36
Please lock these Finest and Bravest officers of New York City along with the common prison population. What a blot on an organization that protects the city that never sleeps 24/7 against all threats.
24
I don't know why to even bother to reveal the solution to the whole problem: Legalize prostitution. NYC will find out that the problem of police corruption related to prostitution is gone; that pimps will become extinct and that human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution is eliminated - you can't,coerce someone into doing something that is legal and open.
93
@PeterLaw It's legal in much of Nevada. It would be interesting to see how well it runs, and whether it really reduces ancillary crime.
5
Fwiw, the ringleader's rule that new johns must expose their genitals and allow fondling is decades old. Since at least the days of prostitution on The Deuce (42nd Street), pimps and prostitutes know an undercover officer who has exposed his genitals will have his testimony thrown out in court.
The sex industry calls this exposure a "law enforcement check".
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@Walter Dufresne What a quaint custom!
1
“All seven police officers pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.” .... Really!!!!
You have got to be kidding!
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These are not the only facilities in NYC that require patrons to prove their independence from law enforcement by dropping their pants. But before accusing these men of trafficking, please distinguish that from pimping, which is all that the article documents.
4
I swear, half of cops would be the criminals out there if they weren't cops.
34
@Sean Apparently the judge did not see much chance of "flight risk."
@Sean- That's harsh. More than a little. I know many police officers and I can not think of one that would be a criminal if they weren't in law enforcement.
In Jackson Heights, there's a brothel across Roosevelt Avenue from a Blink gym, on the second floor disguised as a hair salon. I've called it in (only men are recruited to go upstairs to "get their hair done") but nothing ever happens. As a note, I'm not opposed to sex work, but worry that the women employed there are not there voluntarily. I wonder if a police officer owns that and some of the other 2nd floor brothels on Roosevelt Avenue?
41
Crooked cops....there are many of them spearheading crimes across the 50 states...Blue Lives should not be protected when they perpetuate crimes or shield other cops from their criminal activities.
Time to give consideration for annual lie detector tests for all police to ensure general population is protected from those that are dirty.
10
@Buzz D Polygraphs, or "lie detectors" don't work reliably. Ppl can learn to beat them.
2
One way to end this corruption is to legalize and regulate sex workers, just as we are doing with marijuana and have done with alcohol for years now.
Let's all grow up and stop criminalizing human behavior.
Maybe some of the newer people who are running for office and winning will take this up as an issue because lives are at stake.
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@rich Absolutely.
3
@rich just because something is legalized doesn’t make it right. Women in these situations deserve compassion and respect and assistance to get away from the prostitution circle—not a green light on an immoral and heartbreaking practice. They deserve to be loved and cherished, not used for money.
2
Most cops are good, but even 1% corruption is unacceptable and undermines the system.
12
Pride heads the list of the 7deadly Sins: greed is in that batch too along with lust. So it's not surprising that all this happens.
But- good can overcome evil and that might happen here as it does elsewhere. Just don't think police are different than us.
Our headlines have been filled with other examples: clergy, elected officials, doctors- all walks of life. Always comes down to choices. These guys probably started slow, got away with stuff and it snowballed. ' instant karma's going' get you'
john lennon.
4
"released on their own recognizance"
Why didn't they have to make bail like most other suspects in the criminal court system? Sitting in Riker's like the people they have arrested would be justice.
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There’s no way they should have been released so easily. Yes, sent to Riker’s would have been appropriate.
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“'That fellow cops would stoop so low, for so little and that they would betray the oath and the badge for nonsense,' the commander said."
I wonder how much more it would take to make it OK.
14
My first sentiment was to laugh....this is outrageous
But after a short period of reflection this is is very sad.....
4
People who get to retire at 51 have a LOT of time on there hands.
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@Midwest Josh- That's hysterical. That should be his defense in court. "Your Honor, I had too much time on my hands. What was I Supposed to do?"
What were the senior commanders in vice doing while these officers were living large and why didn't they smell a rat? Someone must ask uncomfortable questions much higher than the precinct level.
If there are enough qualified female officers available, put them in charge. It's possible their perspective will carry less looking the other way that was obviously going on with so many men; probably many more who didn't want to know
22
@JS The ringleader’s wife and two daughters were involved in the operation, why should we assume female police officers would be less susceptible to corruption?
2
What the surveillance and the ‘in house’ investigation tells us is that this is so bad and reaches so high into the command of the NYPD that it was a must to keep in house. The command and in particular the Commissioner apparently quickly realized they had to sacrifice the expendables in order to protect the structure and by the way their own nalgerhides (as my friend Ali from Texas used to say). We all know by now anytime an investigation is kept and conducted in house warning bells ring, alarms should blare and Paul Revere should jump on that horse and ride.
9
A wonderful subject for a crime movie. Even though this happened in New York, it might have as well happened in any other urban center. As such, this affair does not add weight to the perceived reputation of New York City as a focus emanating Evil.
2
Over 350 million in settled claims over the last few years for wrongful actions and this outright corruption and abuse of the shield. There was the dirty thirty pct and who could forget the 75th pct. The prostitution was not Irma La Duece this was derived from sex trafficking young immigrant women forced into sex. Live in this city long enough you will encounter a abusive cop as well as helpful polite ones. NYPD takes up a big piece of the city budget the taxpayer footing the bill deserves better then this. Why did they even get bail? I hope it was bail and not ROR.
10
Tis article states the accused officers have a stack of complaints and lawsuits against them. Sounds like broken windows at the NYPD.
14
The police are not our friends.
They only care about themselves, even when they are not outright criminals.
13
I hope any conviction will include the forfeiture of their pensions.
Law abiding citizens should not have to fund a comfortable retirement income for those who took advantage of same.
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@Anikay a contract is a contract is a contract. The retired guy keeps his pension. The others.....at a minimum will get back the money they put in.
@Anikay I believe that would be the only fear that might limit corruption.
1
What?! These fine, upstanding minions of the law were sued and the city paid money to settle the cases? How could that happen? Doesn't that great progressive, Bill De Blasio, assure us that law suits against our upstanding officers are all the concoctions of greedy shysters trying to make a quick buck for themselves and their unharmed, equally greedy clients?
4
How many cops knew about this? Police precincts are gossip mills and once again the blue wall of silence rears its ugly head. Every cop and officials in those precincts knew and said and did nothing. All those precincts involved should see a massive transfer of cops and of course, disciplinary action where warranted. Enough is enough. You can’t ask the community to trust you if you yourself are corrupt.
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@In The Hood i get what you're saying but it said this was tipped off by another cop.
6
And to think it all started, so to speak, from an alleged bite of an apple.
It is appalling when law enforcement officers deliberately organize and participate in criminal enterprises like this one. It just shows how some people who may once have had consciences have them no longer. Knowing how crimes are discovered and prosecuted successfully gives them insight in how to avoid detection, at least for a while. But their actions show a cynicism about the laws that they are entrusted to enforce, too.
It is a fact that cynicism is a common result of experiences that law enforcement officers have. But cynicism also affects journalists and other professionals who see how people behave and treat other people when they are at their worst. When the cynicism results in criminal activity, it's no excuse.
It must be especially frustrating for decent people who are police because those that they arrest often accuse them of criminal behavior in hopes of establishing doubts which might help them avoid prosecution, accusations which these police assume are unfounded.
6
If vices were legalized and regulated like in say, the Netherlands, then we'd have much less corruption.
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@Jim
This seems to be a common opinion overseas. It is based on the openness in drug use and prostitution visible here in Amsterdam.
In practice, the problems remain large. At least, people here do not get locked up for insane long jail terms. Moreover, addiction is seen as a medical condition.
However, the vices result in a criminal background that overwhelms law enforcement. Just a week ago it was announced that ING, the largest Dutch bank, in practice had turned a blind eye for a decade against almost all money laundering, giving the flimsiest of excuses. We have enormous financial scandals here as well! Corruption just has a different face here. Anything goes. Don't fall for the cozy picture that the tourist office shows you!
20
The investigation with surveillance shows that the police can investigate their fellow officers and do it well. This must have been a very challenging process - an admirable effort at finding corruption within the force.
67
We confer a lot of power, and invest a lot of trust, in the people we choose to police us. When they use that power to break the law they are sworn to uphold, their offenses are particularly egregious. They are, in essence, committing crimes in our name--using the power of the government to commit crimes.
I'm not of the opinion that prostitution, per se, should be illegal. But human trafficking and underage prostitution are essentially slavery, and should be condemned in no uncertain terms. These officers apparently used their positions to enslave fellow citizens.
If convicted, they should never again see the light of day.
It's fair to ask how anyone can expect justice when the police (and the president) use their positions to engage in such blatant illegal conduct. We should all be angry about this, but honest police should be particularly angry; it's their reputation, after all, that is sullied.
205
Police crime and violence exists because of who we select to become police. The only difference between the police and criminals is that police have uniforms and badges. They both share the same bullying, antisocial behaviors. We need to hire individuals with personalities suitable for the job and weed out the corrupt, bullying, antisocial, and cowardly individuals.
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@DAK
I agree with you. We need, however, to go one step further. Many of these occupations are almost "family affairs". It is time to end the preference for the children of police officers to enter the force. They are welcome, but they will not be a "legacy". They will need to apply just like any other person.
The children of these officers (and those like them, and bigoted ones) should never be given preference over others to make a career in the Police Department.
9
That’s a pretty broad brush, Dak
5
I don't think decriminalizing prostitution would stop amoral police from engaging in criminal activities because almost any criminal activity pays more than simply being an honest cop. That said, we should decriminalize prostitution, tax it, and monitor the health of prostitutes and their johns.
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@MSC
"We should...monitor the health of their johns."
Not really practical, is it?
2
In the immortal words of the Rolling Stones, "every cop a criminal and every sinner saint".
10
And how many other officers knew of this and did not speak up?
193
Since this keeps happening, why not just decriminalize prostitution? You can’t have the revolving door of state sanctioned organized crime if it’s not a crime. This is all a low hanging fruit diversion to keep the huddled masses busy while the real unpoliced racketeering takes place on Wall Street
127
"...her pimps told her what to say to prosecutors to deter them from pursuing the case..."
It's not about decriminalizing prostitution; this is about women being pimped out by men for men. And it's about police officers exploiting their role. It should trouble you.
1
@Thomas Busse
...and Congress.
Maybe it's time to legalize prostitution and gambling. No way to stop them.
67
@David These guys don't want to engage in legal gambling and run a legit business, pay tax, etc. And they don't want anyone checking the age of the women they pimp.
31
If cops are corrupt then what future for justice for the African
Americans who are shot by cops who are getting away with
this practice.
Justice is what makes America a great country - but the culture of corruption is part of many institutions that must be eradicated for democracy to work for every one.
60
Don’t kid yourself, America is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
10
happyXpat, I bet that without exception every cop in my hometown (a suburb of Columbus, Ohio) is an honest & dedicated public servant.
1
@Paul
I feel the same way as Paul about the police in my town.
It's a razor thin line between cop & criminal.
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@David
This is not true of about 95% of police.
Unfortunately, the rest can do a lot of damage.
24
@David
I'd say there is less difference than that. The cops and the prisons draw from the same applicant pool. You don't see many kids from college-prep schools go into street-level law enforcement. You see a few get into higher-level enforcement, either in the FBI or SEC, or after law school (as prosecutors), but in general, they come from the same cohort of the general population.
13
@seattle expat David is obviously pulling these numbers out of his hat, but let’s say for the moment that they’re accurate. That would mean that at any given time there are thousand of officers around the country committing crimes with impunity. Very few are caught, never mind punished. That would fit with many people’s direct experience.
I expect to see this on SVU later this season--or next season. You go, Mariska!
17
Perhaps if the New York Times spend more expended covering Brooklyn and Queens...
Instead we're treated to "articles" about new residential development in Brooklyn and Queens.
Look the Roosevelt Avenue thing has been true for decades, and widely known through out the city (as the Times to its credit implies). However that very much means that so part of the "law" has to have been looking the other way at least.
39
Oy!
4
This is the kind of garbage Frank Serpico was up against.
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@Steve Griffith
This culture of corruption is embedded deep in the institutional apparatus and should be exposed, as this type of behavior is dangerous and seems to diminish the working of democracy and justice for all.
Corruption and evil only gets away with what it's doing because people who are good just turn away and do nothing.
Publicity is the most powerful truth that any democracy has to expose the deep rooted corruption that eats and erodes all that is good.
21