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An internal anti-corruption shakeup by the Detroit Police that began 16 months ago has revealed narcotics unit fraud and embezzlement, a department official confirms.
WDET reporter-producer Eli Newman posts details from a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting:
Officers are accused of stealing money from crime scenes, falsifying search warrant affidavits and fraudulently reporting overtime. Those implicated in the scheme have either been terminated, resigned or retired from the force.
In all, 15 targets of investigation -- including four sergeants -- no longer wear Detroit Police uniforms. Another two are suspended with pay while the U.S. attorney's office and Wayne County prosecutor consider criminal charges.
The departures, disclosed earlier this fall, were discussed at last Friday's commissioners meeting by Chris Graveline, the department's associate director of administration, professional standards and constitutional policing.
Chief James Craig: "Nobody was paying attention." (File photo)
Investigations of the Major Violators Unit started in late summer 2019 and brought the release from prison of someone whose prosecution involved planted or false evidence.
Officials say in one case a police sergeant lied about appearing in court 170 times, stealing more than $16,000 dollars in overtime over a five-year period.
Police Chief James Craig says some officers provided bogus search warrant affidavits and worked with suspected drug violators to drum up false information. ... Craig says the department is reviewing about 500 search warrants affidavits connected to the narcotics unit. He says the department now requires senior level approval before the affidavits are submitted. ...
He says the probe is expected to implicate more officers as it turns over more evidence.
The chief said earlier that the unit is restaffed, under new leadership and smaller. He blames lax oversight for the extent of the corruption.
"When you talk about a corruption probe of this magnitude, it first starts with failed supervision," Michigan Radio quoted Craig as saying in October. Nobody was paying attention."
