Should federal authorities investigate St. Louis police practices?
Sunday’s Post-Dispatch had a front page story about how St. Louis runs its own police towing service, but also contracts with a private towing firm to also tow cars in police matters.
The story, Tow firm deals draw questions brings to light that the chief’s daughter, and some officers, consistently received free vehicles to drive for personal use. The chief’s daughter was also allowed to purchase confiscated vehicle for prices far below the vehicle’s actual value.
The company continued to supply her with more vehicles — until the Post-Dispatch began asking questions this spring and, police say, Chief Joe Mokwa ordered the firm to stop it.
On Friday, the police department first acknowledged part of the arrangement. The next day, it began contradicting details in an investigative report from its own law firm on when the chief learned of the arrangement.
Department attorneys said that there is no proof the private company ever got preferential treatment, so at worst it might be a violation of police rules.
Still, the Police Board president said that department will stop using Metropolitan Towing and turn over all towing business to the city.
U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway questioned why police didn’t bring in the FBI or Missouri Highway Patrol to investigate.
Should state or federal authorities be brought in to investigate the department’s practices?
Typical liberal commie democrat Obama lovers. Always want to go after the good Americans. Leave the cops alone. They can never do the job with investigations and courts messing with them. They don’t make much money and deserve a few fringe benefits.
Yes. A law enforcement organization should never conduct its own investigations when improprieties at the highest level of leadership have been disclosed. I’m astonished that the organization would assume the people of this region would accept a report from a law firm paid by the department. They don’t have a high level of respect for our intelligence, do they?
As for this incident being relegated to “no big deal, just have them pay the difference”, no that doesn’t work. When there are allegations of improprieties, a community looses confidence in the law enforcement organization. When the community lacks confidence, every act then becomes questionable, and work falters–not to mention relations between the department and the community become strained.
The only way to repair the confidence is either fire the responsible parties, or clear the department of wrong doing.
Not only does the towing practice/car loaning arrangement need to be investigated, the fact that the Chief’s daughter was picked up under the influence, and then not prosecuted does imply that the department does not police its own.
We shouldn’t wait for the department to ask, the governor and/or attorney general of this state, or the mayor of St. Louis, should demand this investigation.
Lenny, I assure you Chief Mokwa makes a damn good salary. And last I checked, his daughter is not a police officer. Tell me how either of them should be entitled to the “perk” of stealing money from the tax payers of this city?
@Lenny: “Typical liberal commie democrat Obama lovers. Always want to go after the good Americans. Leave the cops alone. They can never do the job with investigations and courts messing with them. They don’t make much money and deserve a few fringe benefits.”
Well, I guess we now know where the police department received their opinion our collective intelligence, don’t we?
Typical right-wing nazi bush lover…Police and other elected officials work for US..the citizens, and when there is lack of transparency …corruption will soon follow. Furthermore …dissent is the HIGHEST form of patriotism..if you don’t like it perhaps you should just leave now.
Lenny you sound like an idiot!The police and public officials don’t have the right to rip off the taxpayers for their “fringe benefits”just because they don’t belived they are getting paid enough to do their jobs.If they don’t belived they get paid enough to do their job,let them work at 7-11 and serve donuts and coffee to those who do.
An investigation is in order. But to go a step further, government should not be in the towing business, it should be privately run. Goverment is never efficient at doing anything.
The cops don’t look good here, that’s for sure; but the supporters of the black racist Obama aren’t helping the situation.
Maybe the next time you get mugged you should try calling Jeremiah Wright.
Lenny – Typical conservative fascist Bush lover; never wanting to punish corrupt, power drunk, so called leaders. Good Americans believe in Democracy, which requires vigilance. Apathy to corruption leads to dictatorship. Don’t bother pointing it out; I realize that’s your goal for America.
It’s sad no one realizes Lenny is being sarcastic and is using the comment as an Bush-bashing opportunity.