It seems, once again, that the spotlight has fallen on one of North Carolina's law enforcement agencies, and once again the system is wrought with corruption. This time the Asheville Police Department evidence room has been caught unable to produce the 400 oxycodone pills supposedly seized in a prior arrest. Police Chief [Bill] Hogan has promised a full investigation, including an audit of the evidence room.
The whole situation is incredibly reminiscent of what occurred in 2007 with Sheriff Bobby Medford, when the sheriff’s department was found to have $217,769 missing from the evidence room, along with 233 handguns and 114 rifles and shotguns, after their department was audited. Hogan swears there will be complete cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigation and the district attorney to determine whether this was an isolated event or not. However, how can the public trust the validity of an investigation conducted by the SBI when just last year it was exposed that 230 cases across the state were in question because of the SBI falsifying evidence? This includes many cases of blood work and, in the case of Floyd Brown, a false confession.
It appears that North Carolina’s law enforcement agencies believe they can operate outside the realm of legality and treat policing more along the lines of the mafia rather than the accredited agency they are supposed to be. How many times do these departments have to be exposed committing heinous acts of corruption before the public will stand up and say, enough? How many innocent people have to be locked up before we demand that something changes?
— Noah Young
Asheville
I’m glad somebody said this.
Too many people (aided by the best PR the APD can muster) choose to see each police scandal as a separate incident as opposed to the institution-wide corruption it is.
Bill Hogan steeping down should only be a starting point to addressing this.
This is and has been going on in all states, and most citys. why shouldnt cops do things illegal and un-trustworthy when there taught by our government how to do it.
Being a biker, and in a club, this really gets my goat, because they want everyone to think its us thats running guns and drugs. The best way to hide what your doing is to point fingers away form yourself.
this event is happening in regards to the recent scandals of the apd. could be interesting.
http://ashvegas.squarespace.com/journal/2011/4/20/group-plans-to-rally-for-increased-accessibility-civilian-re.html
Power corrupts. Unfortunately, those with power over others sometimes use it to their own advantage.
In a true “free market/laissez-faire” society, police and the military (aka most of the executive branch) would not be controlled by the big bad gub’ment, but rather by independent businesses that would keep us safe both at home and abroad. No corruption in private ownership of businesses, right?
Everyone knows that the government can’t do anything right and private businesses are the answer. How many school textbooks or teaching materials would the audit money have paid for I wonder?
I have had enough. And have demanded justice from every department that would listen. Sheriff, D.A.’s, FBI, Justice Department…. every one but the president and it has been close to 3 years now. I would like for someone to tell me just what do I have to do? Who is it that cares enough to actually do something about the corruption in this state? It is depressing.