Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- The Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force has been found to be filled with corrupt officers who used their positions to intimidate and steal with impunity.
Eight members of the “elite” unit have been charged. Six have plead guilty already. It is not hard to understand the temptation faced by the officers.
They often dealt in multiple thousands of dollars in cash that would be confiscated or forfeited to the Baltimore government.
As members of the “Gun Trace Task Force”, they were immune from effective oversight. And they knew it.
They were taking their “cut” before the government took the rest. Given the irresponsibility of the Baltimore politicians, it is not hard to comprehend. Once integrity is lost, it becomes easier and easier to justify more and more corruption.
Except, Detective Maurice Ward testified Tuesday, the officers already had pocketed half the $200,000 they found inside the safe before the recording started, after taking a man’s keys during a traffic stop and entering his home without a warrant. It was one of many illegal tactics Ward said the officers used as they chased guns and drugs across the city while skimming proceeds for themselves.
Ward is one of four detectives from the police department’s defunct Gun Trace Task Force who have pleaded guilty and are expected to testify at the trial of two fellow officers, Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor, which began with opening statements Tuesday.
The money would not be there if the drugs were easily and legally available. The Gun Trace Taskforce would not be in existence except for the State of Maryland’s obsession with disarming its citizens.
He said the officers’ overtime “was given with a wink and a nod, right up the chain of command, as long as we can say you’re getting guns off the streets of Baltimore City.”
One officer testified that the Gun Trace Task Force kept BB guns available to use as throw down guns to justify a shooting if it was necessary.
At Jenkins’ instruction, Ward said, they kept BB guns on hand in case they hit someone or got into a shootout and needed to plant one on someone. He did not say whether that ever occurred.
The corruption and illegal activity spanned many years. People in the black community said, “we told you so”.
The investigation is far from over. More indictments are likely. It has been alleged that a Baltimore prosecutor tipped of the Gun Trace Task Force they were under investigation by the FBI. The investigation started as an investigation into a drug overdose death.
When many thousands of untraceable dollars are easily available and chances of prosecution are tiny, such corruption is going to continue. This level of corruption may become more difficult with the trend to employ body cameras on officers anytime they are on duty. But if police administrators are part of the corruption, videos can be lost or deleted.
When high levels of cash and high levels of personal power are in the mix, there is a tremendous incentive for officers and administrators to figure out ways to game the system.
2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30-year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Baltimore is one of the worst cities in the country. To begin with O’Malley can be thanked for much of this and it has continued downward since his commie ideas. These cops can not be excused for what they did but you have to look at their boss’s to find the contributing cause of their thefts. How you are treated by your superiors have a lot to do with how you react to different situations. Clean out the whole government of this sh!thole and start over. I know there are a lot of blacks in this town but I think… Read more »
I learned a few years ago that the cops are not on my side. I will never give another statement to a cop without a lawyer present. I was in a bad wreck and the cop wrote up some BS report. When I got a copy of it I asked where the rest of it is. I was told that was it and I would need to talk to his super. So I did. He basically called me a liar and defended his “brother”. There was more to this encounter that shows who they are but time and space limit… Read more »
Sounds like the Clint Eastwood movie Magnum Force. Corruption is one thing but taking out the bad guys for good I really don’t have a problem. Goes to show that the old saying is true “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely!”
I really dont know what to say. Im appalled when law enforcement is engaged in corruption as it paints the good ones as bad also, and there are a lot of good ones. But we have all run across the bad ones, the angry ones, the bully’s and the outright prick’s. It shouldnt be about busting every person for every infraction, but to serve the people. We think you are after the really bad guys, not grandma carrying her deceased husbands 38 special because she is afraid for her safety but doesnt know she needs a permit. you guys need… Read more »
Well, they are in a better place now …….
Baltimore is nothing out of the ordinary. Corrupt cops and their corrupt unions are everywhere. When a cop is killed, I say good riddance.
You know who this idiot will call when he needs help? A cop. This guy is a mentally disturbed individual!
@CGGator, when the cops impose their monopoly on us there’s no one else to call. The mentally ill are those, like you, that don’t see the problem.
When a situation occurs to you requiring serious action, don’t call a cop, handle it yourself. I’m sure you have the guts! I’ve seen many like you fold up when the “shit happens”! Big talk…no action. BTW, I’m one of the “evil” cops!
So Charlie is one of those people that live on stolen money (taxation), enforce the racist war on drugs, does checkpoints on the roads, & enforce gun control laws. Got it. You had no problem staying under the department’s IQ maximum too, right? I’m not interested in handling bad situations myself, what I want is for you thugs to stop ramming your monopoly down my throat. Let me keep the money that goes to govt law enforcement & hire an institution of my choice to protect me. Though I guess in my case it would be the HOA that would… Read more »
For you, I am definitely ready to say good riddance.
You really need to rethink your place in the world and your view of humanity.
Well, it IS Baltimore ! looks like they may be serious contenders for Chicago’s record in homicides and corruption.
They may already BE there in homicides per capita.
Maybe the mayor needs to give the cops more “room” to steal like she gave all the “poor, angry, young people”
to “protest”.
Definiion: PROTEST – Burn, loot, destroy property, endanger lives
Wearing a body camera has NOTHING to do with preventing corruption, no matter what your profession. You either have integrity or you don’t.