I'm amazed at the number of commenters here who are taking this story as a case for legalizing sex work. Do you really think Paz would've complied with regulation? Take a look at that room. There's no regulatory body on earth that would allow that to be okay.
There is a case for decriminalizing and regulating sex work. But not here. Not so that people like Paz can do what they do. It's for the sake of the workers, so that they can be guaranteed clean and safe conditions, and so they can safely report situations in which they might be being controlled, manipulated or coerced.
25
Just to address prostitution, a topic many commenters feel should be legal, there is a reason why it isn’t. Prostitutes, despite all the ways to be careful, still cause the spread of STDs and inevitably cause the creation of syndicates to administer their ‘use’. The syndicated usually report to less than legal methods to ensure their competition is not so competitive. One may argue that legalizing the practice would really help these women, and they would probably be right. However, perhaps we should realize that girls do not grow up thinking they want to be prostitutes. Most often, the women are forced into that situation either by poverty or trafficking or both. It’s another reason why it’s illegal- while we may say, yes adults should be allowed to do whatever in private, more often than not the women are in that job because they just can’t do anything else or are forced t do it. So instead of allowing them to be so low, perhaps try to find ways to change society so that women are not forced to be prostitutes?
45
I think we will eventually legalize the sex trade in this country.
It's going to be great.
The elderly will need encore careers to help pay for medical treatment once Congress strips down Medicaid and Social Security to pay for permanent tax cuts for high income earners.
Congress may even create a special class of temporary work visas for sex slaves, i mean sex workers, sponsored by wealthy philanthropists looking for cultural exchanges.
16
LUDWIG PAZ's last name means "peace." But his post-retirement extensive prostitution ring clearly meant "piece." It is demoralizing to think that a retired officer would use his expertise and contacts to set himself up in a prostitution ring after retirement. He may not last long in prison. Even in protective custody, prisoners end up in groups that may have it out for him.
15
In a long life filled with many incidents, I can state confidently that I have helped the police more often than they have ever helped me. That's been the case in many jurisdictions around the world.
Police forces are a relatively modern phenomenon, like state-schools and for-profit-hospitals. Before modern police forces, we had watchmen, posses and the like, jobs essentially filled by members of the local community.
I've given up on the police. Too many of them are incompetent, lazy, ignorant or corrupt. If I have a problem, then I try to sort it out myself or take action in the civil courts before I turn to the cops.
11
One thing that upsets me about this story is that 99% of the suspects were of Hispanic descent, adding a negative connotation to the current anti-Hispanic political conversation exacerbated by the President of the US.
8
Great story. Can we get a follow-up on the women who were caught up in this sordid $40 per 15 minute trap and how they’re faring?
38
I am impresssed with the breadth of this article, its thoroughness, its craft, but I am not impressed at the money, manpower, time and resources spent on breaking up a brothel and arresting everybody.
Prostiution needs to be decriminalized, taxed and regulated. Men have been paying for sex for centuries; it is a basic urgent need and some of us just can't find anyone to satisfy this universal urge.
17
I would like to know more about the women and girls providing services in the brothels—were they trafficked? How old were they? How are they being handled/protected/helped?
43
They are learning from the best. The corruption trickles down from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
19
As I read this story, I was waiting for myself to feel upset about the description of this guys crimes but I never did.
His crimes seem harmless to me, if a woman or man chooses to sell thier body who are we to tell them they cannot. Why do we need to dedicate so many of our city’s resources to prevent it?
Is it any wonder that a squad dedicated to policing people’s free will over their own bodies would be full of corruption.
6
" Still, Mr. Paz’s apparent success at evading detection for years underscores the enduring power of the “blue wall of silence,” whereby officers stay quiet about the misdeeds of their colleagues."
Are the police also immune from felony's such as Aiding and Abetting?
Accessory to a crime, criminal act or criminal enterprise?
It seems that in many matters and areas of criminal justice, including serious felonies... the police have an ability and immunity to being brought to trial and when they have been, obtain a very high rate of "Not Guilty verdicts that are unique, unseen and not observed in any other outcomes in trials and cases for the the same or similar charges brought against members of the public and especially minority groups.
What makes being a police officer found less likely to be culpable for crimes and acts that all other members of society are so often found guilty of?
Especially when they are paid by the public to serve and protect them as professionals expected to answer to a higher level of performance and duty YET instead are allowed to get away with much more than most when caught or found breaking the very law they are sworn to uphold.
That they are subject to a Lower level of scrutiny, justice and judgement than most others is a sad and troubling indictment of a society that should be holding such professionals to a higher standard of behaviour yet rewards then by holding them to the lowest.
It doesn't get more broken than that.
38
Prudes.
Legalize it and put this guy back to work building the economy with greater safety, security and professionalism. Seriously? These are consenting adults, and in an open and regulated market they would not have to hide in run down buildings.
Prudes.
22
@Chris I agree legalize it. However, if you think in this scenario all the women are doing this willingly you’re kidding yourself. Sex trafficking is real, but I do agree that legalizing it will likely help make it a safe, TAXABLE, and regulated industry.
14
The so called vice of prostitution could be more easily controlled if it were legalized. Much of what we consider criminal activity should be reconsidered as normal human pursuits. Sex, like drugs and gambling, could be easily decriminilized and offer a cash stream through taxation if nothing else. Trying to control human morality and behavior through law is difficult and in instances of this sort, corrupting.
The world's so called oldest profession is not going away and if made acceptable would in most cases empower women who practice the trade. This claim to morality is a costly and destructive fiction which should be legalized and taxed as the business it is.
32
When prostitution was legalized for ten years in Rhode Island, the rate of sexual assault dropped significantly.
That should have got everyone's notice. With something that is a clear benefit to society, what's the rationale for keeping it illegal?
29
Self-discipline in a sensitive profession like' Detective ' is always
tempted to be compromised by the forces of 'Maya" (illusion) in many forms . One has to develop a steel mind to prevent the forces try to steal the mind.
4
Seems like this guy Paz was planning the program for years...so he needs to go to Sing Sing for about 20...years....the length of time it will take to make amends. Adios....amigos.
19
Frank Regan would have never allowed it to get this far !
8
I guess not much has changed since Frank Serpico left the NYPD. Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?
Fun Fact:
Serpico retired on June 15, 1972, one month after receiving the New York City Police Department's highest honor, the Medal of Honor. There was no ceremony; according to Serpico, it was simply handed to him over the desk "like a pack of cigarettes"
18
What struck me speechless was that Mr. Paz is alleged to have revealed the identities of undercover officers. That crosses the line from corruption to the functional equivalent of treason. Retired or not, he well knew he was placing lives in danger.
Once a few raids turned up empty the department had to know they had a mole, or more than one. The number of people who would have known in advance of the raids had to be small. That it took Internal Affairs all this time build a case is highly questionable and, maybe, worse than that.
Corruption in the nation’s largest PD is no surprise. It’s inevitable but giving up undercovers is a special class of crime. Truly disgusting.
34
At this time with so much corruption all over the city, it may time to legalize prostitution. Gambling on sports is becoming legal all over the country. Casino's are all over the country. Marijuana is becoming legalized nationwide. It may be time for a red light district where prostitution is legalized so long as pimps are not in the scenario.The prostitutes would get health check ups, and less disease would be spread. If heroin and cocaine were legalized so that drug addicts could visit a government drug clinic instead of buying from drug dealers, then a clear cut process would be established. Overnight organized crime involving police officers would be reduced. So since so many police officers were arrested, due all their prior arrests and convictions get thrown out? Talk about a weak internal affairs division. If residents were complaining for years , and they did little to nothing, this may be occurring throughout the entire city. if most activities were legalized but controlled and regulated, we would finally know how many people are addicted to drugs in the NY area.Or get rid of any and all cash, and only allow for credit card or debit card transactions. How would individuals take part in this activity if they could not get paid in cash? They could only receive a debit card or credit card transactions, and then their activities could easily be followed. Cash is how criminals get away with their activities. How many police are involved with the drug industry?
15
Oh, come on.... When our richest and most privileged can't get through a day and a half without cheating at every opportunity, what's so surprising or horrifying about working class types, including cops, working "vice" for money?
If dad had been a Goldman Sachs partner, this guy would be Treasury Secretary now, having gotten rich on a Fed bank bailout and illegal foreclosures (sound familiar?).
If there are victims here, it's the women. Of course, their alternate job opportunities and chances of advancement are also wonderful in the U.S.A. of 2018.
Deeply principled, are you? Then how about starting at the top? When did you last blow the whistle when doing so might harm your own precious prospects?
32
@jrd
The neighborhoods can also be described as victims. It ain't fun having a brothel next door. According to the article, in fact, there were apparently a number of complaints from ordinary citizens who lived near the prostitution apartments.
You apparently don't like Goldman Sachs. That's a separate issue. I see no cause to mock the "deep principles" of the reporters or even NYPD, if that's who you are being sarcastic about. This was a good investigation prompted by a complaint by a cop. It went after a sleazy bunch and seems to have gotten the goods on them. True, it was not the investigation of Ultimate Evil, and did not lead to the arrest of Satan, but to criticize it for that reason does not make sense to me.
18
Several thoughts from this incident.
1. Dirty cops are worse than dirt. They debase the uniform, betray the trust of the people who depend on them, and subvert the vast majority of cops who are good. Treat Paz and his accomplices to the full measure of the law.
2. The fact that a good cop turn Paz in is a good thing. The fact that good cop probably put his life in danger by doing so speaks for itself. Until the good cops deny the dirty cops the protection of the blue wall, they only contribute to the public's distrust.
3. 20 years for a full pension? Absurd. To be able to retire at age 51 is a major reason why city pension plans are under water and will remain so. Sorry, but Paz' job paid him $120k at age 51 when he retired; no job on the street comes with these benefits. Yeah, I know, the jobs are more dangerous than Wall Street. So how do they compare with other city job pension plans?
Much to think about.
49
Culture of entitlement leads to the worst behavior.
8
The writer should be commended on the depth of this article. The commentary about a “Blue Wall of Silence” is nonsense and indicates that the commentor(s) didn’t understand the article. The article specifically states that the Internal Affairs Bureau was notified by another officer. The investigation took time so as to develop multiple paths of investigation in the event that one path was either compromised or in any other manner disrupted. As to pensions, there has yet to be a conviction or departmental trial. Comments concerning the pensions of people like Skellos, Silver, Spitzer, and other Albany insiders who have resigned or have been convicted of crimes is of concern. However, these are inside people or in the case of recent convictions left of center Democrats who won’t be criticized by the bulk of the Times’ readers.
Please. We both know to carry this one off depended upon silence from within. That it was finally another office who tipped it off was either in the pursuit of a deal or the fear of being caught - not a conscience suddenly exerting itself.
6
This has been an ongoing issue with every police department everywhere in the world. As long as sex work is treated as a crime, law enforcement agents will allow sex workers to do their work if they provide sex, money and information. And law enforcement agents will provide protection for madams and other "pimps" because the laws give them the power to threaten sex workers with arrest if they don't. Decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex and leave consenting adults alone.
If you want to stop 'sex trafficking'- then stop arresting people who are not victims or predators. You don't arrest priests who don't molest children to stop predator priests. You don't arrest men who don't beat their wives or girlfriends to stop domestic violence.
As long as cops have the tools YOU as a society give them - vice laws always have and always will engender police corruption.
13
Placed on administrative duty. What a quaint and deceptive way of saying that nothing will be done to these criminals in blue. Some will argue that there are always few bad apples in every organization.
might be a case of a few good apples.
It seems sometimes that the police department has a few good apples.
9
Can we expect a life sentence? No. Can we expect a plea of 10 years in federal protective custody? Yes. Why? Because he once wore blue.
Just wish he could trade places Fate Vincent Winslow who is serving a life sentence- without parole in a Louisiana prison for selling $5 worth of marijuana to an undercover cop.
64
The tentacles of corruption reach everywhere ; enriching those in ANY position of power.
15
Poor choices often lead to prison. Mandatory reading for my students next week.
5
Anybody notice this interesting side fact—this officer was making 120k/yr with good benefits, and retired with a pension at the age of 44. I believe the job can be difficult and dangerous, but come on.
27
I saw that and was wondering about it. I can’t really see an officer making double their salary by working overtime. That would mean they worked 70-80 hr weeks!
2
Given the state of morality today, prostitution is as honest a business as any and more honest than most marriages which has been turned into a racket. Outlawing it violates people's basic right to do what they want with their own body. Until the law allows for legal prostitution without prohibitive regulation, I will regard men like this as Freedom Fighters.
7
@KBronson I suspect that many of these women do not consider that they are conducting an honest business, but are being trafficked as sex slaves. Perhaps legal prostitution would also reduce the incidence of trafficking vulnerable women, I don't know....
4
Given the state of morality today, prostitution is as an honest business a business as any other and more honest than most marriages, which has been turned into a racket. Outlawing it is a violation of people's basic right to do what they want with their own bodies. It is basically just a matter of steady employment vs temporary. Until the law provides for legal prostitution without prohibitive regulation, I will applaud men like this as Freedom Fighters. He is a Great American. TKB
3
As far as avarice in our country and the world, I would recommend “Generation Wealth”. A recent film by Lauren Greenfield,takes an eye-popping look at excess. This great article brought mr. Paz’s situation to mind.
4
Funny how those without integrity work:
It's always about money, and the women are always the second-class citizens in the story.
27
A good argument for the legalization of prostitution, What consenting adults do in private should be just that; private.
15
The minute a cop breaks the blue wall of silence, he or she is a marked cop, and ultimately punished by higher authorities for doing so. This is a fact. And what's worse is the abhorrent so-called "representation" by the PBA and their attorneys Stephen C. Worth(less), of Worth(less), Longwood, & London, who couldn't care less.
7
I used to live in Vancouver, BC and those places of mistreating women were called Micro-Brothels, think mobility. I am reminded of all those signs in airports about human trafficking. Hopefully someone will see something and say something and keep more vulnerable men, women, and children from suffering.
23
My aunt told the story of one of her math students. He was good in math, and my aunt wanted to encourage him to continue his education, while the student was considering dropping out to be a drug dealer. He did consider continuing his schooling because then, he said, he could become a cop, and the cops he knew made good money, too,
16
"But Mr. Paz, as portrayed by prosecutors, represents an unusual breed: a vice detective who kept a clean record until he retired, only to pivot hard and use his law-enforcement background to become the very strain of crime lord that he once was supposed to stamp out."
In Washington and Albany this is called the revolving door, only there it's a perfectly respectable transition from public service to a cushy retirement.
60
Would be interested in the applicant investigation process for all these Officers.....Were there indications of potential criminality ahead....Lack of Ethics indicated by prior contact with law enforcement or the like. Did any of them serve in the Armed Forces. Was language ability a factor in their entry into the vice dark side.
19
If NYPD brass thinks that the story about 5-6 dirty cops in an operation this large are the only ones that need to take a fall, they are wrong.
At least dozens of cops must have known about this and have not reported it. They should all lose their badge and pension.
97
While I don't wish to apologize for the illicit activities of Mr Paz and his co-defendants, the article succeeds in its implicit bias, naming sex workers "prostitutes" and presumably migrant sex workers as "trafficked." It may come as a surprise to many, but voluntary migrant sex work is not human trafficking and is not the same offense as promoting or facilitating sex work [or prostitution, in legal terms]. This is also why the State often tries to frame it as such, in order to pile on felony charges, but also drops them when the alleged victims refuse services, and instead move on to another sex market. In this case, The New York Times would do very well in amending its rhetoric to reflect the accuracy of the situation.
22
When I read “I do not mean to apologize for the illicit activities of Mr. Paz ... (but) the article succeeds in its implicit bias ...” I couldn’t help thinking that the point you seek to make would be better served as a fully flushed out argument in an op-ed.
I might be wrong but I think this article seeks to prompt discussion on how to prevent/fight abuse of power by those who are mean to serve and protect the public. If that is correct then the idea isn’t to debate the ethics of prostitution vs the sex trade. Putting that here, I think takes away from the main point of the article.
5
@Xtine I understand the distinction between voluntary sex work and trafficking victims, but I don't get your point about not calling sex workers "prostitutes." In fact, wouldn't it be more accurate to call a voluntary sex worker a prostitute than to call a trafficking victim one? Can you elaborate? Thanks.
2
@Xtine The status of the prostitutes or sex workers, presumably adult women, was never addressed in the article, so there really wasn't an "accuracy of the situation"to reflect. But you do raise a good point.
What a complete waste of time and money. prostitution should be legalized, regulated, and taxed. When will the US government learn that they will never control vice. Attempted control promotes crime and wastes public funds and resources.
51
@RogerHWerner Exactly, agree 100%
@RogerHWerner
If only regulating was effective and not cost prohibitive. Things have not worked out well for sex workers in New Zealand where the open market has made sex work less safe and less lucrative.
4
We should take our drunk goggles off and take look at our police forces. Our police forces have become as corrupt as in some second world countries. It is not a matter of just a few rotten apples any more people. The police unions have become vote banks for politicians. And one rotten apple can rot the whole basket too.
44
Your comment slanders millions of honest police officers. Broad but unsubstantiated accusations of corruption are cheap rhetoric.
It’s a nasty job, it has some bad actors, like in virtually every line of work, but the proportions are no different than in other professions.
You should make an apology to the millions of innocent men and women who protect you and your loved ones from violence and other assorted crimes.
PS-I am not a police officer, or related to one. I know some as residents of our community, grew up with them, and respect what they do. It is a very difficult job, physically and emotionally.
11
Great reporting .... Congratulations.
30
Paz' midlife crisis came at the worst possible time ('08 Recession), realizing that his hard-working & frugal legal immigrant parents were likely right all along - about how being a practicing lawyer (who can be in lucrative private practice, or be a tenured law professor, or even be a well-paid, bilingual TV/radio legal commentator, or be in benefits-laden public service as a prosecutor, judge, etc. even into one's old age) - wld have given him more quality of life options than being a physically & psychologically burned out cop by one's 40s.
He fell for a shady damsel in distress who wanted to live in an NYC single-family home, while his sensible wife & son opted for Puerto Rico, where his pension wld have gone much further.
If he was really smart as his parents thought he was (thus their paying for his private school), he cld have been like other cops who attended law school part-time, got into the bar, and use his apparent leadership/social skills to build up his own private criminal defense/mediation practice, w/ the pension as his cushion. His debts cld have been modified to get paid off eventually.
Paz simply didn't share the sensible values & foresight of his parents & wife.
His gf also likely wasn't one to wait for him to grow a legit new career.
They cld hve moved to no income/corp. tax, legal prostitution NV w/ their "staff", but why compete w/ NV's longtime operators when corrupt NY cops got their backs?
Can't fix stupid & impulsive! What a shame & waste!
40
@FairXchange I thought so as well, as is often the case the children of immigrants can't really fathom the world their parents came from the sacrifices they've made and grow up with a certain level of entitlement. He could have lived very comfortably but he wanted riches.
19
@FairXchange I don't know, a lot of lawyers lost their jobs recently. I understand lawyers are not in big demand now. Also, he doesn't strike me as an intellectual type. Did someone in his family graduate from college? Was it even realistic for him to get enough education to become a lawyer?
But most retired police officers don't become criminals. They might open their own security firms, may do security consulting ...
14
@FairXchange. And if my aunt had male parts she'd be my uncle. Didn't happen.
2
No doubt Mr. Paz is still able to collect his pension on top of his ill-gotten, illegal gains through selling female's bodies.
13
Actually no he shouldn't based upon the public referendum that overwhelmingly passed in 2017; not certain if it applies to convicted police officers.
5
@PM
No, he won't if he's convicted, you forfeit your pension, at least the end that the city would provide. He'll get his money, that he put in out of his paycheck.
Yes, they contribute to their pension, like any city, county, state, employee, it's called PERS. In California, it's called CalPers, in Alaska, where I worked for the state, it's just called PERS.
1
Are we still prosecuting prostitution, good Lord, we can certainly find better things to do with money then lock up prostitutes and pimps at this point.
12
I lived on the UES in a walkup building during the late 90's. A realtor that I had once worked for had the listings for my building. He offered a lease to a young woman with no credit who was willing to pay a years rent upfront. Her demeanor, appearance, and offer to pay double the typical fee were bright red flags to everyone in the busy office. He rented it to her after 20 minutes alone with her in an upstairs office that was rarely used. It was clear what had transpired to seal the deal. He bragged about it to make employees.
The foot traffic started immediately.Intercom bells rang constantly. Drunk men staggered through the building . An unrelenting stream of horny idiots. I called the 19th precinct 2 times only to be told that without actually witnessing a transaction, there was nothing to be done. So we began quietly fighting back. The basement electric panel was accessible so we would shut down the power to the apartment which resulted in threats of violence. Called the 19th precinct again: same response.
I finally reached out to a friend who was a Lieutenant with NYPD explaining the situation and the response from the 19th. He was OUTRAGED. He made a phone call on Thursday. On Friday we were contacted, and the business was shutdown in a very visible and dramatic way.
The realtor lost all the listings that had been a big part of his business. Hope he got his all he needs met in 20 minutes.
The Lieutenant retired as an Inspector. Thanks TMC!
53
@JSinNYC: I'm glad for you and those in the building.
Sadly, your story only proves that it's all in WHO YOU KNOW. Same with finding housing and jobs, and much else.
5
I'd love to see a rigorous sociological study of the prevalence of prostitution in various societies through history. I'd bet money that it doesn't vary much in quantity, only in the details (where the devil is): legality, brutality, control of working conditions.
Meanwhile, we all know there's huge variation in the level of corruption among police forces and societies in general, and places with less corruption show us ways we can do better.
Neither prostitution nor police corruption can be eliminated, but there's huge opportunities for significant harm-reduction in both areas. Millions currently suffering could be happier. Millions of future adults could avoid sordidness now normalized. Reality can't match the fantasies of rigid moralists, but it can be a damned sight better than the way it is.
7
Legalize prostitution, other countries have done this successfully, notably, recently, New Zealand for example.
Gambling, meh, it's legal in so many places, why not here?
Yes, still go after corrupt cops, but let's quit the denial about the victimless activities they exploited.
13
@John L
They are not necessarily victimless, if they exploit trafficked women.
24
@SParker I agree, and that's an argument for legalization - check out NZ's legislation and results.
@SParker and there is no way to check if they are trafficed or not if the very activity is illegal. However, legal brothels can be inspected easily and the government can know who is working there.
Good lord, that's a hell of a first sentence.
4
Again, the brass and the union will come to the mic talking about some bad apples. Then the code of silence will remain, and our heroes will go hack to business as usual.
Politicians benefit more from keeping illegal activities itoo visible, acting only when public scrutiny makes the water boil.
Getting kickbacks from controlling organizations is their forte. You can always suspect that operation zap was a cover to protect a bigger gang contributing at a larger level.
7
@Robert B. Robert, you are so right. I just completed a book on this, The Black and the Blue, with a former cop, and that was the core of the problem. It's about a police culture and not a few bad apples, and you're right in that it goes far beyond police departments
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/matthew-horace/the-black-and-th...
4
@Ronald Harris
Kudos to you. Thanks for publicizing the book, looks like a necessary read; one that will draw people in and introduce them to the issues.
Thank you, Officer Matthew Horace.
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/matthew-horace/the-black-and-th...
You've got to hand it to Mr. Paz for doing it the American way, gaming the system, succeeding, exploiting and generally excelling and earning riches through our Capitalist System. This is an American success story.
It is a story that basically illustrates the faults, flaws, weaknesses, vulnerabilities and fragilities of the American way of life. Our society, our culture and the American version of civilization are built only on corruptness, criminality, disregard for the law. It is no wonder that the United States of America not only appears to be, but actually is, a very strange, twisted, weird and bizarre nation at this point in our history.
20
@Reggie " It is no wonder that the United States of America not only appears to be, but actually is, a very strange, twisted, weird and bizarre nation at this point in our history."
It's fun to think about it that way.
1
Sounds like Paz became a lobbyist. Low end? High end? It's all the same. Organized crime. Retired "lawmakers" use the skills they learned in Congress to circumvent the law--at the expense of the most vulnerable.
41
Why? There must be a way to detect candidates based on integrity, honesty and courage. Maybe we need to figure out the biochemistry behind this and include it in screenings. Maybe like drug sniffing dogs, train animals to sniff out potential bad guys. They sure seem better able to figure out good from bad.
This must be even more depressing and dangerous for the good cops, than for the rest of us. Let's figure out how to select the folks who are born with the 'good' genes and weed out the 'bad' guys.
3
@Meena you really believe that’s possible?
3
@Meena
Eugenics has been tried before and crashed on the shoals of a dubious reputation. You may well more be on to the idea espoused in the movie "Minority Report" where people could stop crime before it was committed by seeing the future.
The sad thing for Mr. Paz and crew is now that they're in jail and, should they be convicted, they can spend the next few years asking themselves, "was it worth it?" Likely the IRS and NY State Department of Taxation will want to pay them a visit also, further compounding the hurt that they've heaped upon themselves.
2
Illegal brothels, like illegal cannabis, are the root of this evil. Legalize brothels, like happens in the Netherlands, and this type of corruption is impossible. Make them legal, protect the workers, check sanitary conditions, and tax the profits. Make cannabis legal, the costly prisons are emptied of drug dealers, and cannabis companies flourish. The largest cannabis company in Canada, Canopy Growth, ticker WEED, is now worth over 10 billion US dollars. Governments will never stamp out sex for pay, the demand for alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Legalize, control, and tax = that's the winning formula.
42
@Walter The workers don't want to be protected--that would mean paying taxes and other problems.
3
@Walter, Sex work is generally the bastion of poor and uneducated females. This is not a good idea. Why is it always men who suggest that prostitution be legalized?
Women and children should be protected not exploited.
Spend a day in their shoes.
19
@PM " Sex work is generally the bastion of poor and uneducated females."
That may be true of sex work in it's most blatant forms, but I suggest that sex is at work throughout human society.
The arguments against legalizing prostituion generally sight the dysfunction that addmitidely seems, in part to motivate the choice to become one Fair enough. But to presume that making it illegal improves anything is presumptuous at best. It just further victimize and degrades people who are already making a tough choice. Unfortunitly for a huge number of mostly women, this is their reality, they should be empowered, not moralized and condescended to. The cash from drugs and prostitution, in the billions, go directly to fund violent, oppressive criminals with global reach. Legalize it all.
16
Wow such ‘fine’ people.
Does he belong to the rep party perhaps??
5
I'm not surprised in the least. I was born and raised in NYC. In 1970 I was arrested on a feminist demonstration. The cop at the precinct was trying to get us to admit to breaking the law. After a while I said, "Why are you going after the women's movement instead of the Mafia?" He gave me a disgusted look and replied, "Listen, sister, the government is the Mafia and the Mafia is the government. And the trouble with you is you're on the wrong side."
78
You know what I would rather hear? The stories of the women on whose back these disgusting non-men made their fortunes. Paz doesn't deserve the ink, nor does he deserve protective custody. Let him face the kind of options that he gave to women. There is nothing that makes me more disgusted/angrier than a pimp; they are the biggest bullies and the biggest cowards.
As for any police officer who might read this -- shame on every one of you every single time you cover up for the wrong doings of one of your own. That thin blue line? Grow up. And just how often are you drawing it with the blood of women?
124
@PS agree. It's sick. I've worked in sex trafficking. Destroys lives. Disgusting. All for money.
Shocking? Not....
4
Where is Mayor DiBlasio in all this? He should be using his office to affirm the good guys and shame Ludwig Paz and his fellow sleazes. Is fear of losing police union support behind his silence? As a former NYC resident, I'm saddened by the Mayor's lack of leadership on this and other issues such as the decay of the city's public transportation.
7
@Rick Cowan
Not a fan of DiBlasio here, but the public transportation has been crumbling for decades and is under financed at the state level.
Also DiBlasio gets a lot of flack from the cops and their unions as it is--besides, are there any good guys in the NYPD?
5
"Dozens of civilians were arrested"
Am I the only person who is uncomfortable with the idea of police officers not being regarded as "civilians"?
25
Retired at age 51, leaving his $120,000 salary. How nice.
39
@Marty, Atypical cop entitlement. There are villages of them in Florida enjoying early retirement and other fringe 'bonuses'.
8
@PM
Atypical? Because I think you mean normal.
[Some]Taxes are used to pay for government workers' benefits, benefits that the average taxpayer can't afford themselves.
The real problem is “blue wall of silence,”...any police who didn’t report what they knew is complicit and should be forced to resign. The “blue wall of silence” taints ALL police officers, the good and the bad, we owe it to all the good, honest, hard working cops to get rid of those who are complicit and taint their colleagues. Until the bad cops are gone the public can’t respect the police dept. as an institution. “The biggest gang in NY should be cleaned from the inside.”
37
@Steve
Sure, like Serpico who almost was killed by his fellow police officers and ended up living in Italy because he feared for his life.
2
Corruption is bad. Arresting others for the same crime you are committing is bad. But, ultimately, this Mr. Paz fellow should be a small business owner, not a criminal. Within the narrow focus of prostitution alone, it our laws that make him a criminal, not his actions.
3
@notacrime coordinating with corrupt officers on the force and tipping off his "brothels" Pimps (filled with victimized underage sex trafficking victims) to the identiy of undercover officers, threatening their safety, so they wouldn't be caught is not a crime?
5
@notacrime
Laws exist for a reason and are based on socially-accepted norms (I don't necessarily agree with them). Paz, as a cop swore to uphold them, but chose not to. His actions are the reason he is a criminal.
1
His record before retirement is clean, and his record until this arrest was also clean. Might be worth taking another look at his activity while he was on the force?
61
NYC has a massive police force and have had many huge scandals over the years, that in shear size put this one to shame. Though, this one is particularly nasty. Det. Paz transition from a 3rd grade pensioned detective to a pimp and a drug runner is a anomaly in itself but the cadre of cops on the force enabling him and taking graft is sickening. My uncle was a chief of D's for many years. When I returned from Viet Nam my first job was with NYPD, after I recovered from injuries. It was during the time when Lindsay was mayor and the Knapp Commission was just gearing up. My first month I was buddied with an old timer on the force. He escorted me around to different businesses on my beat and how much they paid for 'extra' protection and all the different food establishments where cops ate free. When I mentioned it to my uncle at thanksgiving dinner, he told me 'go with the flow' and I would be getting my gold shield within 3 or 4 years. I had a pretty cushy precinct because of him but I hated everything to do with this system of corruption. Which I knew would be not change with getting a gold shield. I decided I hated the pressure and the pay was really bad and I decided to leave and move south. Over a few years from the mid 70's to early 80's, I went back and visited a few friends I made. They would ask me occasionally to pick a 'piece'. They knew gun laws down where I lived were loose but I didn't because it's a serious felony. So this story, doesn't surprise me in the least!
79
Growing up in NY, it seems that the police are always involved in a scandal. Frank Serpico is one I remember.
17
Why does it take thousands of hours of wire taps and investigations and multiple UC operations and a 3 year investigation to close down is incomprehensible. Imagine if your job was to say we have a problem maybe it can be solved in a few years when it should take weeks or days. What a waste of resources and time but when you are only interested in getting to your twenty and done what's the hurry.
36
@Robert yeah, running a police department with 30K plus officers is different than running a bank, accounting, or law firm. Internal Affairs took their time so they could be sure of ALL the officers who were involved. Nothing wrong with the timeline here. Your comment about "only interested in getting to your twenty and done" is an insult to the good cops in nyc. You live in NJ not nyc right? , maybe it's different there.
7
Thank God for the unnamed police officer who took the chance and called internal affairs, if his fellow "cops" had found out about him who knows what they would have done to him. The most telling part of this story is that the hero cop is still anonymous in fear that his fellow cops would ostracize him..or worse. He is one who broke the oath..the oath to the blue wall of silence.
When the police can break the law then society begins to crumble, then the cracks begin. When the law is literally prostituted that's when the police and the laws themselves can't be trusted, and a city will begin to fall apart.
Thank God for every police officer who does it right. They owe it to themselves and this great city, to cleanse the police department of every rogue cop.
64
This will make a terrific episode for BLUE BLOODS
15
That’s for sure. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
3
@JMG Sadly, in today's climate the story line would almost have to include someone from the parish priesthood as a "john." Sad commntary on today's society.
I hope the prosecution zeroes in on the organized crime ring of ex-cops, cops and their cronies, and not the women (and men) trapped in the brothels as prostitutes, who are the true victims here. I'm not supportive of decriminalizing prostitution per se, but rather than arresting and prosecuting the front-line prostitutes, the full force of the law should focus on eradicating the human traffickers, pimps and brothel owners who keep the system going.
22
@Beth: it's also the "demand" side
that keeps the system going, isn't it.
18
@Beth
When the Supreme Court outlaws abortion, you can add illegal abortions and bleeding out women to this mix. Not to mention a whole new crop of unwanted children to add to the workforce when they turn 12. We need clinics, healthcare, safety net for women who grow up poor and have no other option than sex work.
7
@Beth The best way to accomplish that would be by legalizing the selling of sex, but criminalizing the buying of sex--the Nordic Model--cause right now, those who sell so often pay all the criminal penalties.
First, they are New York's finest (or Houston's, or Denver's...). Then, cops are only human, so there will always be some "bad apples". Next, they can't go to prison because ex-cops are targeted there. Finally, they are all New York's finest again.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
20
@franko
I never got why they are referred to as "finest". Given how corrupt cops and police departments are, they are probably the ones who came up with that fantasy name.
@franko
Who says cops can't be sent to prison? Of course they can and are.
2
@franko I think massive civil forfeiture would be better and easier than criminal prosecution. Leave them destitute
Reason #476 not to trust the police....and they wonder why we are so very skeptical of their integrity.
18
@Bismarck
I see your inclination to say that, but does it not matter that when the good cop ratted out the bad the police dept took steps to shut down the operation and publicly admit to the scandal? To me that’s proof that while there are some stinkers in the organization, it’s unfair to vilify the whole department.
5
Amazing how the boundaries of Park Slope keep creeping outward. Another 10 years it will reach the Gowanus Canal and Greenwood Cemetery.
7
@Emacee
Almost 20 years back, when I first moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan, a broker showed me an apartment in the 20s on 3rd Avenue and told me it was in Park Slope. When I said I had a friend living around Union and 8th Ave, which I thought was Park Slope (I didn't know Brooklyn very well then), he said that was the *other* side of Park Slope--in a very dismissive manner, indicating that where my friend lived was the bad side.
4
This is one of the oldest stories in the history of the world. Prostitution should be legal, regulated and taxed.
19
@Bruce Savin
I expect just as pot is becoming more and more a legal business (and taxed accordingly) so will prostitution.
1
@Bruce Savin, Again, it is always men who suggest this.
10
@PM You keep saying that as if its a proven fact. It's not. Here are women run groups advocating for legalization:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Professionals_of_Canada
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Network_of_Sex_Work_Projects
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAMPEP
The best way to stop this victimless crime is to make it legal with licensing and medical inspections. Then Police resources can concentrate on catching any illicit sex operators exploiting women sex workers! Send envoys to Europe, Asia, South America where prostitution has been legal for eons for instructional “ how to” guidelines.
11
@Moe Def
But the issue here for me is not prostitution..but police corruption..what if it had been narcotics sales...and the cops were running that operation..or illegal contraband or hijacking trucks..burglary..that's the issue not prostitution..
Corrupt cops are corrupt ..they'll go where the money is??
2
@Moe Def
You are mistaken. Prostitution is not legal in Asian countries and South American countries. (look at a map and see how many countries, every different from each others, there are in those continents)
It has been RECENTLY legalized in SOME European countries that have at the same enacted tough laws against pimping-- which is what those cops were doing.
Still even in those countries with legalized sex work, women and girls and men and boys are being trafficked into slavery. There are johns who seem to prefer handing their money to a pimp and having their way with a slave than with a free individual.....
This went on for years and no one noticed? Perhaps, leaving the night before a raid might be a clue?. So the NYPD decides to make up for its incompetence by strong arming the 72 year old super.
Keep up the good work.
13
Current laws powerfully incentivize criminal traffickers.
Decriminalize sex work. Undo the evil SESTA/FOSTA so that sex workers can control their own business, and so that free speech rights are not degraded. Criminalize ONLY actual traffickers.
13
If prostitution were legal, authorities could save a lot of money on cases like these. That money could go into safe and healthy brothels, without pimps and other bad actors.
14
@Roy G. Biv
But it still wouldn't stop corrupt cops..
4
We need a part 2 article about the women involved. How were they brought into this “business”? What are their stories? How much were they paid out of the fees you described? Above all, how were they treated? What follow up is being done to assure their well-being?
I’m far more interested in the care of these women than in the repercussions for the sickening men who ran this repulsive ring.
Thank you.
87
@Andrea R undoubtedly they were all underage victims of sex trafficking. It's a sick thing perpetuated by greed and demand.
4
My reaction: Stop wasting time and money on victimless crimes. stop driving it into subterranean dives... stop diverting natural instincts into crime, perversion and predation. Most of the civilized world -- France, Germany, Spain, Australia, has legalized prostitution and concurrently those countries have much less in the way of crimes against women. Prostitution doesn't have to be some seedy mess that low lifes, cops and criminals feed on. Let the women, or men, be independent contractors. Think of the jobs, the taxes... This seems like a good idea to me, but I'm not sure, however, it's certainly worth seriously investigating. Put Spitzer and Dershowitz on it.
17
@frankly 32, Prostitution is NOT a victimless crime.
There are countless, mostly female victims.
9
@PM
But are they "victims" due to the way the current sex business is structured, or if it were, hypothetically, legalized and regulated, better for the women involved by providing access to health care, guaranteed wages for their work and so forth? It is and will probably always be "the world's oldest profession," but how people are treated within said line of work can make quite a difference. Maintaining the status quo only perpetuates the victimization.
@frankly 32 I think there is a component of our society where commercial sex is the preferred mode--not so many complications.
Ten years in operation and only seven police arrested! Hard to believe no one else knew and looked the other way.
38
We have the same problem with corrupt police in my country. These people are basically gang members in uniforms.
16
At the risk of sounding crass...this story...and wow, what a story, reads like a movie waiting to happen...
8
@loco73 Actually, it all started with a movie.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
6
I was about 8 or ten when I borrowed my dad's copy of Serpico's book...
Variations on a theme of corruption, moral and material.
---
www.rimaregas.com
7
More mud and filth on the shields, thrown by the men in blue, What a shame. They have no one to blame but themselves, but surely their defense attorneys will think of someone.
8
First, regulation of prostitution, I would think is a start. Unfettered, unregulated sex work only brings in more of the pimps, uncaring Johns, abused innocent women, & corrupt cops. Regulation could lead to legalization with both as part of one overarching law.
There are countries, mainly in Europe, which have both legalized & regulated sex work & workers. Pimps quickly lose interest in legitimate business when they can keep the proceeds from illegal prostitution for themselves (after the payoffs to sex workers, security personnel & local police - and NO taxes paid.)
"Testilying" & "blue wall of silence" are among the NYPD's contributions to the NYC lexicon of criminality. It is shameful that POs / Detectives who make up to $120,000 a year (with overtime) are so greedy that they'll retire & become notorious ex-cop pimps or employees of such pimps. And done with the connivance of their comrades still on the force & others also retired.
Pimps may see themselves as entrepreneurs. They aren't much worse than scummy slumlords or notorious real estate "developers" who rip off the public in their so-called legitimate enterprises. This city & parts of the USA are sickened from wealth as sure as poor people are sickened from poverty.
All ethics & morality are lost. Greed is the engine of success. We even made a NYC real estate developer - a man who is one step away from pimpdom - the president of this country. The NYPD lads merely follow the money like their president.
20
I am not surprised. The NYPD members were involved in so many crimes including drug ring . Blue Wall is a big problem and the union always protects them regardless of the types and severity of crimes including man slaughter. Police officers are like us rest of the society members. We as a nation are going down from top to bottom, chief executive, judges, teachers, priests, senators, congress members , celebrities, Hollywood members to TV pundits. Very sad.
6
Makes you wonder what line of work police officers would be in if they weren’t in law enforcement. I’ve never met a policeman who strikes me as someone who chose his career as his first, second, or third choice. Like the military, police departments scream last resort.
15
What snobbery.
@Hollis, I wouldn't say its a last resort for most but the fact that there is minimal education required along with minimal training standards makes it easy for most to become a cop. I wouldn't say that just because you are a cop you have criminal tendencies. These people probably just wanted to make a quick buck. Like many they were greedy and couldn't live within their means.
@Hollis - you must not know many military. I spent 6 years in the USAF, and while it wasn't for me, I was surrounded with patriotic, dedicated people.
10
Wouldn't it be great if the police were to become model citizens of integrity, law-abiding and free of racial bias? Those who prove otherwise would be severely punished so as to make the slippery slope ones reconsider their temptations. Repeated calls to the police with no action suggests far-ranging corruption within the precinct.
30
If you are outraged by police earning 6 figures take a look at the salaries of BART cops in the San Francisco area. There are dozens of them taking home over $300K in salary and benefits.
28
@Sal Fladabosco
Wow - Of the $300K - how much is usually salary and how much is benefits?
And how do you calculate benefits to get to $300K?
1
Since neighbors’ multiple calls to the police yielded no action, there were obviously far more law enforcement agents aware of this situation than the 7 arrested.
163
Maybe. But the more people you involve and pay off, the more people you have to keep an eye on.
Here's another theory.
You call 911 and the dispatcher relays it to a radio car. Ninety minutes or two hours later police drive by the address and there's no visible activity. And because you wanted to be anonymous (out of fear that your name and phone number would be leaked to the criminals), there's no call back number and so the job gets coded out.
The individual phone call about a nuisance apartment or building isn't going to solve the problem. You've got to be organized and strategic and know where to apply pressure.
A friend of mine organized her block to get rid of an open air drug market. It took some time, but they did it. Along the way, the drug dealers figured out (magically?) who was calling the cops and they smashed all their car windows.
But that was less costly than living amongst criminals and addicts and everything that follows in their wake.
23
Its shocking that police officers would betray their duty to the public and instead, profit from the vice they are supposed to combat.
Not, its totally predictable.
Criminalizing vice will always lead to corruption, victimization, violence and more crime. Whether its prohibition of alcohol, the war on drugs, the suppression of gambling, or the commercial sex businesses , forcing these fields underground only increases the evils associated with them. We learned this decades ago with alcohol and gambling, which are now legal and regulated. Its time that we apply those lessons to drug use and sex work.
The people working in these fields will be better off, our neighborhoods will be less impacted, ancillary crime will be reduced, and our police will be more honest.
24
Of course, CityTrucker. Then "these fields" (drug use and sex work) will be going on next door to average citizens who will have no rights or recourse. Normalizing abnormal activities makes the whole society corrupt and powerless.
3
[[ Whether its prohibition of alcohol, the war on drugs, the suppression of gambling, or the commercial sex businesses , forcing these fields underground only increases the evils associated with them.]]
OK, so let's decriminalize prostitution. Problem solved? No. Because wherever you set the age limit for someone to become a licensed sex worker, someone out there will want to go younger. And then you're back to the same problem...criminal cops exploiting their knowledge and authority to set up a delivery system for underage) sex workers.
How about, you're retired in your 40s, your pension is more than $100,000 per year...move to Florida...go fishing...take up golf...do charity work.
The problem isn't that we have laws, the problem is that we have greedy, corrupt people willing to violate those laws.
As our beloved president said, when you're putting these criminals in the squad cars, maybe don't be so gentle with them...am I right?
6
Prostitution is the oldest profession after being God. Legalize, regulate, and tax it. The reality is that, for many, the most productive work they can do is on their backs.
23
"for many, the most productive work they can do is on their backs. " As long as we don't give them the right to vote. Democratic systems assume that people have a mind.
2
Taxing prostitution will make the state a literal pimp. No thanks, I’d rather not have my roads and libraries built by desperate or trafficked women.
11
Drug dealing is also very lucrative. There are layers of victimization within both that would exist whether or not they were legalized. Keep them illegal and arrest the clients and pimps.
8
One officer spoke up. How many others knew but kept quiet? Any officers care to comment?
190
And why is prostitution illegal?
Being illegal, it necessitates risk and the investment of those with dark, untaxed money. Far more people are turned into criminals by having to work in the shadows of the law, than would turn to crime (money laundering, violence, slavery) if prostitution were legal and available for all adults.
Just one of the many things that my culture does that mystifies me in my old age.
Some people want to sell a service and some people want to buy that service. A culture that legalizes prostitution but makes illegal private use of firearms would be a far, far more safe and decent place to live.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
195
@Hugh Massengill Even if legal, there is great potential for the actual service providers to be horribly abused. No, this is not an easy answer.
61
@Hugh Massengill
Come on, Hugh. Stop for a moment and think about everything involved in organized crime and prostitution. How about the exploitation of poor and often vulnerable women.
Just because it's 'legal' doesn't mean it is harmless.
7
@Chip
Well, to me, the easy answer is to mandate that all sex work take place in businesses that are worker owned. No one but the workers get the profits, and no but the workers get to make the rules.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
4
Throw everyone involved in jail. Strip their pensions, health care and anything else the citizens of New York are paying for. Post pictures and names of every last one of them. Include every single officer in the NYPD responsible for giving them warnings or info on when busts were going happen. This is despicable behavior.
462
This ex-detective was able to run a crime operation for ten years. That is a long time and many law enforcement officers must have turned a blind eye. I do not understand a code of conduct that normalizes and condones illegal activity by those enforced to fight against such activity. The officer who identified undercover officers put them at risk and his behavior is despicable. Why would anyone protect him when he is betraying fellow officers who are putting their lives on the line? It is the height of irony that it is more difficult to catch police officers who are breaking the law as they are protected by a wall of silence.
All of those involved who were law enforcement officers should lose their pensions. It is insane that they break the law, run a crime operation for a decade and then get to collect a pension as a reward. Crime really does pay.
351
No matter what the outcome, every one of those cops will still receives their pension. Crime pays well, even if you doing time. the taxpayers of the state of New York and the citizens of New York City will basically be paying for corruption in the long run.
185
Is that true—they get their pension even if convicted of using badge for illegal personal gain?? Shocking if so.
11
Pay them more and they won’t turn dirty? How many times have we heard that. So if we pay NY police $200k a year, and let them retire after 20 years we will end malfeasance? Our only hope is robot cops, programmed by women.
84
Punish them severely for all the obvious reasons. Then legalize and regulate prostitution for all the obvious reasons.
29
@Jordan Everywhere that prostitution is legalized, brothel owners and pimps get rich, while trafficking is increased. There are no obvious reasons.
9
It appears those involved were bent to be criminals with guns and badges. This reads like a movie script/TV series. Bravo for the one that made the call to report it. Corruption at this level is disturbing in that it taints all law enforcement personnel. The majority are good people that have to prove they are when things like this are revealed.
I cannot imagine who the women are that were "working" for this group. How low a male will go to pay for sex in places pictured in the report astonishes me. Air freshener? OMG! Disgusting just thinking about it.
Pleading not guilty with all the evidence against them will play out in court. Surely they are targets within the prison system. Hope they enjoyed their freedom and ill got gains while they had them. Sad for their families, especially their kids.
21
It is amazing how these individuals, who took an oath to serve and protect, reveled in a filthy, dark world of greed.
Nothing right, nothing normal about their over the top syndicate that sadly was protected and coveted as a fringe benefit for all involved.
Is this the American way?
Are we so depraved that greed overcomes our ability to lead a clean, decent lifestyle?
15
We absolutely need to legalize and reasonably regulate sex work. As with drugs, making a high-demand consensual contract between consenting adults illegal simply creates prohibition-profits, violence, and corruption.
All harm would be reduced by legalization, and the ugly and socially inept would have more access to sex. Also the "pimp skim" would be reduced, as well there would be fewer opportunities for corruption, and less motive to violence.
20
It seems like we citizens should go straight to the DA's 0ffice with these types of complaints since we can't trust the police. I've learned my lesson.
47
@Cathy Andersen
The DA and the police get their payroll checks from the same place.
1
Legalization,look what they've done with weed. I don't condone it but regulation wouldn't hurt and the women ,if they wanted out would not have a record.
8
@Alan Einstoss Actually, legalization has been shown to increase trafficking on all levels; and the people who end up making money off of it are brothel owners--who actually say in interviews that they do not ask of the woman is being trafficked, they simply rent her the room--the same room she is often now allowed to leave by regulations. Instead, what would help her aims of no record would be the Nordic Model, where selling of sex is legal, but buying sex is illegal
10
@wandering
Why do you keep pushing "the Nordic Model"?
Retired at age 51 says everything about what is wrong with government employment.
109
You mean to tell me that local elected officials never heard a peep about this? Right.
43
I think it's disgraceful....that someone can retire on full pension and lifetime medical after only 20 years working.
115
Police are seldom better than the society they serve.
32
Right under the nose if the Mayor.
He should do the honorable thing and step down.
5
@AutumLeaff
Is DiBlasio supposed to be on patrol throughout Park Slope because he owns property there? There's homeless people on 5th Ave and drug sales near the White House--should Trump resign?
Not one mention of the women and girls who were used in this scheme. Where is their story?
189
The article doesn't address what to me is a major point: Who were these prostitutes? Were they trafficked girls? Sex slaves? I would not be surprised. What has happened to them? I am disturbed that this aspect of this horrific, decades-long crime is not mentioned at all.
243
@Lorri I came here to make exactly this point. Also, this is another reason why sex should be legal to sell, but not to buy--the Nordic Model--because this man was able to make millions while the women suffered.
18
@wandering
Thank you! I'm disturbed by the number of commenters who advocate legalizing prostitution (for buyers) because it is a 'free choice,' and have no awareness of the exploitative, sexist nature of prostitution. The article does not help, as we do not get the perspective of the girls and women.
14
Retired? The man looks barely 50 years old.
At the risk of sound non-politically correct, in latino culture drugs and prostitution are not considered the worst of offenses. This is as much a cultural problem as anything else.
30
@dmckj You must be a brilliant sociologist and historian. You must have done extensive and exhaustive studies of the multiple forms and levels of Hispanic cultures. ( Hispanic, because latini non sumus.) Your research must have taken many years. Have you research other populations?
9
So many thoughts - PO or rather, Detective Paz, had options in life and decided to pursue law enforcement. He served on the force for twenty years, fighting crime, but then he turned. He became a criminal. Brotherhood within the force is strong, yes, that "Code Blue." So, the alliances he formed ultimately became his informants. But, Mr. Paz, went low - he went to the seediest of crimes - prostitution and brothels. Selling sex.
It is unfortunate that NYPD did not take notice sooner as they had had complaints. It took an insider's tip to get the ball rolling. This inside is a brave person, going against the code of silence, but anyone with a moral backbone would have.
The article mentions how difficult it is to investigate their own, within the force, and I imagine it is. One leak and the whole thing is news. At least NYPD didn't shy away from this investigation as it would reveal corruption within the force and a retired detective turned criminal.
I hope they are all prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Their crimes are heinous and the victims are the women who turned tricks as a means of a livelihood. And, dirty mattresses on a floor makes the conditions and circumstances even more deplorable.
31
This is reminiscent of the old stories about Chumley's, a bar-restaurant on Bedford Street in the West Village. During Prohibition it was a speakeasy, and it was raided several times, but the police never found anyone drinking there. They always entered through the back door, which opens into a little alley around the corner from the main entrance. Someone at the precinct house would 'phone the bar, and employees would quickly "eighty-six the customers," that is, send them out the front door, which is at 86 Bedford (There is, famously, no sign there naming the establishment). It's said that the use of "eighty-six" as a verb began there.
48
@Thomas Having worked as a waiter in a fancy restaurant in NYC all through the 80's, I always wondered where the verb "eighty-six" came from. It's a delight to finally find out! Thank you!
10
I'm done. Earth needs a break from males - certainly the half that is female needs one.
65
@Margot
Please. The earth needs a break from irresponsible human beings. As as woman, I've been harm by women as well as men.
1
@Margot - Except that I've read other news stories about this story indicating that Paz's wife/girlfriend and her daughter (his step-daughter) were also deeply involved in this operation. They were even present at some of the brothels "greeting" customers...
1
@Margot
Sadly there are also horrible women around. Just look at the stats for household slaves. These slaves have been trafficked just like sex slaves (incidentally sex slaves and free sex workers also include men, particularly teens.... particularly young men. Are you not also sorry for them?)
Look up stats on slavery right now. There are a couple of websites that keep track including a recent articles in the Guardian (on line version is still free).
Are you not concerned about children/teens kicked out of their homes by parents (both female and male) upon discovery that those kids are LGBT?
I've suffered abuse by men in my long life, yet I am not generalizing. Some male of the species are good people and i will not judge them on the basis of some physiological traits.
Took three (3) years before they made the arrest and in the meantime, hundreds of women were forced to perform the sex acts. Law enforcement operates at a snail pace, worse is those convicted will still be able to collect their pension.
64
"...worse is those convicted wil still be able to collect their pension."
Is this correct???!
2
@Kelly Yip another comment from a foreigner who pretends to "know" the U.S., nyc, and our laws. If they are convicted the officers will be stripped of their pensions.
There’s no mention in this article of any follow-up interviews or counseling for the women (and men, if there were some) abused and traumatized by this line of work. Who knows what the full story is, but I doubt most (if not all) of the prostitutes at those brothels weren’t there by choice. Despicable!
147
It may seem counter-intuitive, but you have to pay cops a decent wage and pension. It's no guarantee, but it helps them fight off the greed of getting involved in crime. There are temptations all around them.
When I first got to the city, I met an ex-cop from a lower-middle class background who had left the force and opened three restaurants in Manhattan. He told me that all restauranteurs just 'had' to pay the Mafia in order not to shut down. Yeah, right. Where did he get the money to open these places? And that money came with strings attached....forever.
That was my first look at the corruption that is always hovering around the NYPD.
22
@Virginia
There plenty of people who work hard every day and make far less than his $120,000 salary. And they'd be looking at real time if they were to be caught doing half of what Paz did.
Apparently he was deep in debt from toxic real estate investments, and, oddly, these reporters appear to implicitly frame his financial problems as an underlying cause (excuse?) for his crimes.
I'm not buying it.
But I am puzzled why bringing the charges took so long. Police spokesman, Phillip Walzak, said the "department was investigating whether there were instances when the crimes described in the case could have been detected sooner."
Right.
Am I right that few top police officials have expressed their outrage in clear, uneqivocal language? How about the mayor?
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He was making $120k. More than a Ph.D. college professor with tenure.
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@Virginia
Why do they have to be paid a pension?
Very few workers under 50 will ever get a pension
Legalize prostitution.
Surprising that we don’t look at this issue through “the government is controlling our bodies” lens.
In no sense is this more true than the business of prostitution.
If I wish to monetize my body, who is the government to tell me not to, as long as no non-consenting party is involved.
The humorous argument remains that as long as you film it and put it on the internet (pornography), it’s legal.
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@Rob
I wonder if your thoughts would be the same if your sister or daughter were interested in becoming a sex worker.
7
@Rob Prostitution promotes human trafficking. In countries where it is legal women are still tricked into the profession and not allowed to leave. It is not as simple as make it legal and the problem goes away. As long as the system allows someone else to make money off a women's body women and girls will be exploited.
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@Rob Yes legalize prostitution in every state. As it is referred to the "world's oldest profession" it is in the bible. Evangelicals cannot hide that fact.
Legalizing something that will not ever "go away" is sensible. As long as there are laws to protect kids from exploitation within the industry. It would be one less thing organized crime/gangs would have as their illegal activities. Law enforcement would then be able to use their resources policing crimes against us. Probably will not happen in my lifetime. Too many in my generation that will not/cannot open up to reality. They are the last of "let's pretend" generation. Oh my, clutch my pearls, bless their hearts.
1
The article promises to tell the story of a "brothel empire," but there's no information about the women or men working in it. This is like promising an article on the Inca empire with no Incas. How is it possible in 2018 women are still being so thoroughly erased from history?
Omissions like the one at the center of this article this perpetuate without critical analysis the impression that prostitution is a "victimless crime." (See some of the comments on this article for vivid examples of the survival of that presumption.)
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“A fifteen-minute session cost $40, a full hour, $160 or more.”
And it would be interesting to know how much of that money went to the women themselves. Judging from the photo and description of the filthy conditions in that room I’m sure it was a pittance - just enough to make sure that the most vulnerable among them could never get out!
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Thinking about my friend's brother, a detective who devotes his life to shutting down human trafficking. Can't imagine he'd think too highly of these brothers in blue.
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You can be sure that it was more well known among the officers than we will ever know.
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@John I agree. Who is the Vice Squad detective who told the building tenant “to move”? Who did Steve Britt complain to @ the precinct? Are we to believe that for years they and others who complained spoke only to the officers who were arrested? And where was the NYPD’s vaunted Comstat review system when all the raids only found abandoned apartments? Look at how many captains and other command officers were allowed to quietly retire with full pensions at that precinct and in the Vice Squad and you will probably find additional corrupt officers who protected this “Empire”.
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“a cop who recognized that the behavior and actions of even one of our members reflects on every single member of this police department.”
The same can be said for any member of any organization, sadly the whistle blower will still be branded "a rat" amongst his peers.
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It appears nothing much has changed in the NYPD since the days of Frank Serpico.
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You mean to tell me assist with the organization of a brothel and you go to jail. Shoot an unarmed civilian, or even one in his own home and paid vacation. This is why they kneel.
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This is a movie!
9
Police corruption will always surface especially on large forces like NYPD. This a stain on the entire department. It gives the public the impression that all officers on the NYPD are corrupt. This is not even remotely true. Most officers I know are just interested in serving their time on the force and retiring to a less expensive area of the country. Getting good candidates is hard to find. The screening process should be updated. It should include the latest in psychological testing to weed out future problems. Large organizations will always contain criminals. Bad doctors, bad lawyers, bad members of the military, bad nurses, bad CEO's etc. Whats surprising again is that their colleagues allowed this to go on for so long. Fellow officers knew of this but were so afraid of being labeled a "rat" that they let it continue. The mentality in this and most organizations is "do not rat " on a fellow member of my organization. It makes this kind of thing impossible to stop in the future.
29
After causing such damage to both communities and the PD, why should Paz continue to collect his pension?
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@Francine because he is contractually entitled to it.
2
Gambling and prostitution are at least potentially victimless crimes that, in any case, can't be eliminated by making them illegal.
I am a "liberal libertarian" and don't want my tax dollars used to enforce religious based morality- I'd rather tax revenues were collected from inevitable human "vice" and these activities were regulated to reduce the victimization created by the black market.
Just like alcohol.
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@alan haigh
You are correct in thinking that gambling and prostitution are more harmful when illegal than when regulated. However, if you truly believe that gambling and prostitution are "victimless crimes" even in societies that do regulate them, you are too ignorant to make public comments about them.
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@alan haigh I am sorry, but only a man could make such a statement that prostitution is a "victimless" crime.
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@alan haigh The vast majority of prostitution is not victimless, however. Foster care to prostitution pipeline articles have been posted many times in the NY Times, as well as stories about sex trafficking. Women have talked about how they told all their "customers" they were being trafficked and not one called the police....that is why sex should be illegal to buy but legal to sell--the Nordic Model.
14
With NYPD it starts with a sense of superiority, endless hero worship, adulation for doing a job they volunteered and trained for. Add it an over the top righteous union leader, a culture of solidarity, nepotism, defensiveness, parking their cars on sidewalks and in crosswalks near precincts, parking anywhere they want when not at work, a smug 'twenty two years and out, full pension' attitude and a city that indemnifies professional transgressions with a public lawyers and public payouts and what do you get? Well, the article made that point...a culture steeped in corruption and entitlement.
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@jimmy
20 years to retirement should be a crime in and of itself.
Ridiculous.
13
"Every cop is a criminal, and all your sinners saints". So we are told by Mick Jagger in "Sympathy for the Devil". The truth of this matter is that many, many more cops aided and abetted this enterprise than will ever be caught, police departments are notoriously close knit, the subculture demands they frequently stretch, and often break the law to back the play of fellow officers. Cops lie under oath on a regular basis, and after a few years on the job come to see everyone as a perp. Note I said subculture, as most cops don't venture over the red line in the sand though most do adhere to the blue wall of silence. NYPD is, and has always been, one of the most corrupt departments in the nation. They're also one of the most combative, intolerant, and least civilian friendly. They're not the most militant, but enjoy the distinction of having one of the worst firearms training programs and shooting "incidents" that needed adjudication. The department is huge, and the number of bad apples is small in perspective, but the general attitude ranges from poor to openly hostile. They're also some of the lowest paid cops in the country, which may explain some of the above. I don't begrudge any cop a free coffee or similar perk, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to have left the city for greener pastures, in a place with a truly professional department where the pride of service and mission is plainly visible in every deputy I've ever encountered.
19
Reading this I couldn't help but to think of the line from "The Godfather" about how drugs are a dirty business but gambling and prostitution are things people and politicians are willing to look the other way for. The reality is that Sex Trafficking is a scourge on societies across the World and should be completely absent from 2018 America. How frustrating it must have been for those community members to be brushed aside after repeatedly reporting it. This is the kind of thing that erodes trust between the Police and the people they are sworn to serve. Specialized units like Vice should have mandatory rotations of staff every few years to make scenarios like this less feasible.
Finally as an aside, gross. Even if someone could stomach the likelihood that they're helping to feed the cycle of trafficking, I can't imagine anyone who'd want to frequent such places. A mattress on the floor and a bottle of Febreze? Eww.
60
If the police were really serious about rooting this out they would follow up on the complaints that were made and never followed up. But they won't because all the NYPD brass want to do is to sweep this under the rug.
19
Cancel the pension or make Paz pay restitution out of his pension proceeds back to the City for the amount spent on the investigation needed to catch him.
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