And this is different from any department how?

The problem here is that there is no review of the city/county departments by outside entities. In my case, it appears by State statute that sworn offices are an extension of the justice system and therefore exempt from jurisdiction by the State ethics commission. The checks and balances are internal only. States only get involved when criminal behavior is made public. Unethical behavior is dealt with internally, which can lead to unusual results; highly dependent upon those presiding in the case (favoritism).

When they came for the guns I said nothing because I had no guns.

When they came for the internet I couldn;t say anything because they took my damn modem!

Welcome to America. Please put your freedom into the plastic bin and walk through the metal detector.

I'm amazed this story made it to the press.

From the bottom of the article:

Police also served a separate search warrant at the home of former homicide Detective David Barnes, one of the investigators on the "Baseline Rapist" case.

Barnes was demoted from the homicide unit to patrol after he went public one year ago with claims of mismanaged evidence at the city's crime lab.

A female officer's alleged promiscuity and infidelity.

Let's play "good cop, naked cop"...I'll be good cop.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but what purpose would there to be take a modem and a router unless they actually wanted to shut the guy up like he claims.

this guy better count his blessings...next on the list will be a tip to Sheriff Arpaio that he is housing and employing illegal immigrants and he will have his house raided by the "posse" .

I hope this guy gets lots of money.

Sucks its going to be from the taxpayers of Phoenix though.

The Thin Blue Line needs to be erased - and now. Make the covering up and non-reporting of another cop's malfeasance punishable by dismissal. Not a sliding scale of sanctions topped by dismissal, because then the union can get involved, but actual no second chance dismissal. Let the cops live like they treat civilians - always with the taint of suspicion.

That they took the guy's modem and router is prima facie evidence that the raid had nothing to do with the wife's charges but was harassment pure and simple. All of the cops who were in his house should be fired immediately because all of them were bent cops.

Dihnekis: I hope this guy gets lots of money.

Sucks its going to be from the taxpayers of Phoenix though.

One reason why I think that any award should first come from the Police budget, then any money held in evidence for cases that have been closed, then out of the offending officers' pockets, THEN tax dollars if you can't scrounge it all from those areas.

Saw this just before Christmas and thought Farkers might like to discuss it:

"Barry Cooper, former narcotics officer turned anti-drug-war activist/lecturer, proved that the police routinely lie and use illegal tactics (^) to justify drug raids by renting a house and growing two small Christmas trees under grow lights."

I'm not "anti-cop", but I do believe reform is needed on many things (particularly with the use of Tazers).

If you're going to falsely claim someone is a child molester anything that happens to you is justified.

costa: Welcome to America. Please put your freedom into the plastic bin and walk through the metal detector.

AliasUndercover: I'm amazed this story made it to the press.

Gee, maybe it's just not as bad as you think.

A female officer's alleged promiscuity and infidelity.

alleged? WTF does that have to do with anything?

SpwimmingInNY: If you're going to falsely claim someone is a child molester anything that happens to you is justified.

Too bad for you that he didn't falsely claim it:

From another article (new window):
"We were going to shut down the website after that but then all of a sudden all these good cops started hitting the site and sending us tips," he said.

He said they would also deliver all kinds of internal documents from within the department exposing everything from a cop with multiple DUIs to another cop whose son was a child molester and was trying to get on the force (and was eventually arrested).

1) It was the police department's own documentation.
2) the guy was actually arrested (one would assume for child molestation, but the article doesn't actually specify)

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but what purpose would there to be take a modem and a router unless they actually wanted to shut the guy up like he claims.

Malicious abuse of a search warrant is standard procedure when the cops don't like the target. It does not by itself prove there was no underlying cause.

Having said that, I can now reveal that all Phoenix cops are corrupt. My evidence is secret. You'll have to trust me on this.

Goofus and Gallant: THEY'RE COPS.

Approves of being Seal'd

Mark Spencer, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, said he was concerned about questionable probable cause to enter Barnes' house. The union, which claims no affiliation with Pataky's blog, will represent Barnes through the internal investigation.

Anyone care to notice that the police union is actually on the side of rainbows and puppies in this, or is everyone's spittle frothing so badly that they couldn't even read the last paragraph of the article? Or just doesn't care?

Let me repeat: THE POLICE UNION IS DEFENDING THE "GOOD COP".

nvmac: The problem here is that there is no review of the city/county departments by outside entities.

The FBI.

"case is unique because of the connection to an unaccredited grassroots Web site."

WTF? Since when were websites or blogs "accredited". Assholes.
The police wonder why there are so many problems these days. Nobody trusts the anymore. Even if some or most of them are good people the bad ones have succeeded in ruining the entire concept of law enforcement.

I'm from LA so I thought I was used to crooked cops until I came to Phoenix. I could swear, virtually ever single officer employed by the Phoenix PD and Maricopa County Sheriff's office is crooked. What sucks is that there's no such thing as jurisdiction out here. I could be in Mesa and the Phoenix PD could still do whatever they wanted without even contacting the Mesa's police chief.

Cops: Apologists will say that most of them are great people, we should love them cuz they're all looking out for us, etc. I personally would go so far to say that many of them are probably just peachy keen people. However, some of them are not. You can't tell the difference until it's too late -- until they've assaulted or killed you or otherwise farked up your life completely. Without videotape, any encounter with you is whatever they say it is. They can beat the shiat of you and then say you tried to fight them. They can shoot you in the head and walk away free saying that you made a threatening move. They can say that you were eyeballing little boys in a park. They can say anything, and your life is over. You can *always* be charged (and convicted) with disorderly conduct or obstruction if the cop doesn't like the way you look at them. BS, made-up charges are probably the common with cops encounters.

In reality: Is this stuff that would normally happen if you have an encounter with the police? Probably not. Does it still happen? All the time.

Cops are like dangerous animals in the wild. Typically, you can come across one and they generally will ignore you. However, they sometimes might just decide that they'd like to kill you instead. Is it worth sticking around to find out what kind of animal they are? Not at all.

Avoid talking to the police like you'd avoid any dangerous animal. It's just not worth it.

Rubber Biscuit: Sad but true: most cops are semi retarded fratboys.

So they made it to college then?

thenateman
From the bottom of the article:

Police also served a separate search warrant at the home of former homicide Detective David Barnes, one of the investigators on the "Baseline Rapist" case.

Barnes was demoted from the homicide unit to patrol after he went public one year ago with claims of mismanaged evidence at the city's crime lab.

Yup. all you need to know about these cops can be summed up by the fact that the one of them who actually tries to do the right thing gets demoted for making all the other douchebags look bad.

TheGreatGildersleeve
costa: Welcome to America. Please put your freedom into the plastic bin and walk through the metal detector.

AliasUndercover: I'm amazed this story made it to the press.

Gee, maybe it's just not as bad as you think.

Yeah. it's just a bunch of rogue cops pressuring other cops to keep their mouth shut about doctored evidence and raiding people's houses for criticizing them, but there's an article on FARK now, so everything's fine.

/Go be a pig somewhere else.

It is nice that the police departments are using the power granted to them under the "war on drugs" and "war on terror" the way it was intended.

Streisand Effect, motherfarkers. By trying to shut this blogger down, you brought the entire world's attention to what a corrupt shiathole your city has become.

But the sad part is, when a police force becomes corrupt, there's a limit to how much can be done. You can't just replace an entire police force overnight. The best you can do is strike hard at the leadership and make an example of the ringleaders.

So they made it to college then?

In Massachusetts police get paid extra for having college credits. I mean "college" credits. You send in three box tops and a check for $100, get a "life experience" degree, and your pay goes up. It's called the "Quinn Bill."

Rubber Biscuit: Sad but true: most cops are semi retarded fratboys.

You're giving them to much credit. Semi-retarded fraternity guys actually go to college. Unlike cops, whose average educational level usually doesn't exceed a high school diploma.

Phoenix Assistant Chief Andy Anderson said the harassment case is unique because of the connection to an unaccredited grassroots Web site.

What would an 'accredited' web site be?

BunkyBrewman: whose average educational level usually doesn't exceed a high school diploma.

I love when people get their smug on

But the sad part is, when a police force becomes corrupt, there's a limit to how much can be done. You can't just replace an entire police force overnight. The best you can do is strike hard at the leadership and make an example of the ringleaders.

I submitted a link recently about a town in Massachusetts that tried replacing the chief to make an example. Five years ago people in Stoughton knew the chief was dirty. The selectmen decided not to renew the chief's contract. He had a lot of supporters in town and a lot of supporters willing to use threats and violence to get their way. Voters recalled the selectmen and installed backers of the chief, who reinstated him. In due course he was indicted. He was placed on paid leave and earned $600,000 for doing nothing before he and another officer were convicted of extortion.

Huskadoodle: BunkyBrewman: whose average educational level usually doesn't exceed a high school diploma.

I love when people get their smug on

I'm in one of those moods today.

Undereducated + Weapon + Inferiority Complex = No good at all

ZAZ: leave and earned $600,000 for doing nothing before he and another officer were convicted of extortion.

Your crooked cop has nothing on this Georgia sheriff.

States need an Inspector General setup for their different police forces, at the very least.

Truecrypt is your friend.

Rubber Biscuit: Sad but true: most cops are semi retarded fratboys. working-class Average Joes who get shiat on by Big Brother even more often than you do, bro.

/FTFY

costa, you said it all!

these bastards work for the biggest thieves in the land.they take an oath to obey,and enforce the laws that were written by the politicians that write and enact these laws to perpetuate the system they have created.a cop is never wrong, because he's a cop.protect and serve yourselves people,no one else out there will.

hej: Phoenix Assistant Chief Andy Anderson said the harassment case is unique because of the connection to an unaccredited grassroots Web site.

What would an 'accredited' web site be?

www.copsdonowrong.com, and www.unicornsshiatingbubblegum.com

Rubber Biscuit
Sad but true: most cops are semi retarded fratboys.

You forgot, "on steroids and cocaine".

How many of you anti-cop circle jerkers have been on a ride along with your local police? That would change your attitudes real quick.

Old and Busted: The corrupt New Orleans PD

New Hotness: The corrupt Phoenix PD

derek20cali: How many of you anti-cop circle jerkers have been on a ride along with your local police? That would change your attitudes real quick.

You want people to dislike the police even more?

Giltric: derek20cali: How many of you anti-cop circle jerkers have been on a ride along with your local police? That would change your attitudes real quick.

You want people to dislike the police even more?

No, I want them to join reality.

derek20cali: How many of you anti-cop circle jerkers have been on a ride along with your local police? That would change your attitudes real quick.

i'm not anti-cop. i'm anti-pig. there's a difference.

VegasVinnie: Cops: Apologists will say that most of them are great people, we should love them cuz they're all looking out for us, etc. I personally would go so far to say that many of them are probably just peachy keen people. However, some of them are not. You can't tell the difference until it's too late -- until they've assaulted or killed you or otherwise farked up your life completely. Without videotape, any encounter with you is whatever they say it is. They can beat the shiat of you and then say you tried to fight them. They can shoot you in the head and walk away free saying that you made a threatening move. They can say that you were eyeballing little boys in a park. They can say anything, and your life is over. You can *always* be charged (and convicted) with disorderly conduct or obstruction if the cop doesn't like the way you look at them. BS, made-up charges are probably the common with cops encounters.

In reality: Is this stuff that would normally happen if you have an encounter with the police? Probably not. Does it still happen? All the time.

Cops are like dangerous animals in the wild. Typically, you can come across one and they generally will ignore you. However, they sometimes might just decide that they'd like to kill you instead. Is it worth sticking around to find out what kind of animal they are? Not at all.

Avoid talking to the police like you'd avoid any dangerous animal. It's just not worth it.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. I treat cops like a present threat and attempt to distance myself from them as quickly as possible.

Current police practices encourage the creation of a offense in order to coerce searches and other actionable situations. They are trained in questioning techniques that open up actionable situations for them.

All you need to have is a cop having a bad day and your world can be turned upside down.

Since we cannot tell the difference between good cops and bad cops, the best answer IS to avoid contact with them just as much as you would any dangerous person.