What a message we are sending to criminals

On New Years Eve, 2005, Christopher Perino; a 19 year veteran and detective in the NYPD; who has racked up nearly 600 arrests in the Bronx borough of New York, responded to a shooting call on his shift. He arrived to find a 24 year old man shot in the face. Erik Crespo was the culprit, a 17 year old street thug, who committed the cold-blooded act in front of security cameras and witnesses.  Because their was no need of confession his Miranda Rights were waived, and the detective decided to talk to him off the record to get his side of the story and also find out where the gun was hidden. This is a common step in law-enforcement. Crespo did not budge, and secretly recorded this 70 minute conversation. At the pre-trial in March of 2007, the detective was asked if he had (questioned) Crespo. He responded:

"The case was a couple of years old. I testified I did not remember questioning him," 

Due to having no need of a confession, he did not question him. There is questioning, interrogating, and talking to someone.  That to me, was the correct answer. And forgive me for siding with a police officer on this one. The man's chosen profession alone has earned him my benefit of the doubt.

Keep in mind, this man has dealt with violent scum like Crespo for 19 years. So he doesn't remember speaking with a common thug 2 years after the crime occurred; is it so hard to fathom? Can you imagine how many of these guys the officer has come across in his day? They are a dime a dozen to these big city cops. How many pre-trials did he go to in his career? It was most likely another day at the office. In those 2 years between crime and trial, he made 50 more arrests, worked a 2nd job in construction, and dealt with 50 more violent caseloads, and mountains of paperwork in the Bronx. Shame on him! 

Even if he did remember the conversation, you can't help but think of the mind of a cop. They see evil men walk left and right. They see judges who treat their position as if they were a teenager working a summer job a Krispy Creme. They see lawyers who make it a habit of setting free the lowest forms of humanity. They see and deal with 10 and 12 time repeat offenders, and waste literally 3 to 4 calls on the same people in any given week. They know the justice system is in a state of havoc. He may have already known what was going to happen as soon as he was asked that question, that he was walking into a legal trap. It's no wonder these police officers have to fudge reports from time to time. I hardly blame them. 

But in no way did that officer want to see that thug's sentence lessened because of some small piece of technology with a recording in it. This new information was used by the defense attorney only after the officer had made his answers at the pre-trial. It was a typical legal trap formed to reduce the penalty of a piece of street filth, and to be another notch on the defense attorneys win column. Crespo has no respect for laws, society, or civil service, and he apparently takes great pride in destroying the man's life who caught him, who was only doing his job.

Crespo, because of the new evidence, took a dreamy 7 year prison deal, as opposed to 25 years for attempted murder. Seven years is the same amount of time the decorated, 19 year NYPD detective is sentenced to for perjury.  Let me point out as well, as others have, that this is a white cop, working a very multi-cultural borough of New York.  In nearly 20 years time, there has not been a single civilian complaint against him. Based on his stellar track record, it does not appear that the officer was intentionally trying to be deceitful.

Only in America's justice system, can a  17 year old street thug with a mp3 player do so much damage. One mistake by the detective, one little oversight, one small slip of an answer to a serpenting lawyer, one verbal error by a fellow human being, whether intentional or not, and he is caught in a legal whirlwind: in the which he will most likely lose his job; 3 million in pension coming to him for 19 years of dedicated service, his badge; and possibly his credibility in New York City.