Police Misconduct is More Widespread Than Some People May Believe
According to Argus Leader, the Flandreau Police Department has been rocked by scandal thanks to a 2013 Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) investigation into missing drug money that turned up unexpected findings into department wide police misconduct. Although one office was prosecuted for theft of drug money, it ended up triggering a larger look into just what was going on here.
The misconduct in question ranged from questionable judgment to outright crime. Items like alcohol were taken from the evidence locker and ingested by some officers; another admitted to breaking into a building. DCI also uncovered that a drug raid was used to cover up an officer discovered peeping through windows in one neighborhood.
After the guilty parties were punished, the event was largely buried without receiving much media coverage — until this past year, when someone with access to the investigation?s outcome ended up leaking parts of it to the public and the media.
It comes as no surprise to many people that police across the country are doing questionable things — even as they are requiring others to uphold the letter of the law. Unfortunately, as an institution police have of late become associated with corruption and other problems.
Many times over the past several years, police brutality has become a focus of the media and as a modern day civil rights issue. It?s no secret that police often protect their own. While this can feel heartening in a Law and Order episode, in real life it can be an attitude that ruins lives as defendants are often inadequately prepared to fight back against an entire institution that is supposed to be upholding the law and prosecuting offenders.
If you?re dealing with an issue of this magnitude, hiring a police misconduct attorney Minneapolis trusts might be your best bet. Why? An attorney can not only make sure your name is cleared, but they can also help to make sure their actions become widely known to prevent this happening again. A police misconduct attorney Minneapolis can also fight for you to receive a settlement to compensate for what you?ve had to go through, whether it?s lost wages from having to be in court or emotional trauma from being labeled a criminal for something the police did to you. Your legal rights are worth protecting.
Have you had to hire a police brutality lawyer, or would you consider doing so?
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