Revelations surfaced last week that the State Attorney is now investigating allegations of police brutality on the part of several so-far unidentified officers here. We received a tip at press time that charges may have been filed against six officers even by the time you read this. It's about time! Our police department is out of control and Chief Buz Dillon's internal affairs operation is a joke. City officials are trying to put the spin on the current investigations that Chief Dillon, himself, somehow turned these guys in. What a crock. What we hear is that Dillon's internal affairs investigators had already cleared these officers!
You will recall that when this newspaper exposed the fact that an internal affairs investigator had found a citizen's complaint "unfounded" without even conducting an investigation, Buz got so mad that he had me arrested. He will have an opportunity to explain his actions in federal court. He is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Unfortunately, the ACLU can't take on every case of police abuse here. And lawyers are expensive and outcomes uncertain— especially in cases that come before our local judges. Even when citizens win, they lose— because they have already suffered the humiliation of going to jail and they have, in some cases, spent their life's savings— or borrowed heavily— to pursue their cases. So, in many instances, the cops do whatever they want to do, legal or not, and get away with it. Like a dog licking his behind, they do it because they can.
We have reported here before the now-infamous case of former Key West Civil Service Board member Gene Peary. Peary was arrested by Officer Ken Stinson in 1997 for drunk driving. The problem is that Peary wasn't driving. He was a passenger. No matter. Lt. Al Flowers reportedly told him at the arrest scene: "Get yourself a good expensive lawyer. That's what the courts are for."
In court, Stinson would testify, under oath, that he saw two men in the vehicle change seats. Both were drunk, so he arrested them both for drunk driving. But the trial ended with a hung jury. At Peary's second trial, Stinson testified, again under oath, that he really didn't see Peary get out of the driver's side of the vehicle. Peary was acquitted, of course. But he was broke and disillusioned.
It is obvious that Stinson lied in court, either at the first trial or at the second one. But nobody seems to care. Chief Dillon refuses to investigate. Don't you think he would at least be curious? And if he knows why one of his officers testified two different ways at two different trials, why won't he make that information public?
Stinson was also involved in a 1994 incident in which officers broke into artist Dick Moody's home and beat up and arrested everybody in sight. When Moody sued, Judge Susan Vernon, as usual, ruled that the cops did no wrong. But an appeals court recently overturned Vernon and ruled that the cops can go on trial.
Other examples abound. And City Attorney Bob Tischenkel has admitted that there has been a big increase in the number of people suing, and threatening to sue the City because of alleged police abuses. Why do you think that is?
We are proud that this newspaper was able to play at least a small role in helping to clean out the corruption in the State Attorney's Office a year or so ago. And we are optimistic that new State Attorney Mark Kohl will fully investigate and prosecute police improprieties. It is obvious that Chief Dillon will not police his own operation. We are pleased that Kohl seems willing to do that for him.