New Orleanians upset with corrupt police officers

New Orleanians upset with corrupt police officers
By Robert L. Davis - July 8, 2008

Police officers chased another police officer! Another NOPD officer receives slap on the wrist? When will New Orleanians make a change?

My telephone rang off the hook yesterday and my email box was overloaded as many friends and fellow authors informed me that yet another New Orleans police officer is in trouble. Actual this story involves three officers.

Many are beginning to validate my claim for years that New Orleans has one of the most corrupt police units in America, and quite possibly the world!

This time we have an officer refusing to stop when driving to work, driving to work at a speed of 90 mph! Apparently two police officers observed New Orleans Police Officer Donyell Sanchell, 38, a four year veteran of the force, speeding in his pickup truck at 90 mph in a 50 mph speed zone. Officer Sanchell later stopped, hit one of the officers with his vehicle, and continued to his unit, the first district police station.

The officers then chased Officer Sanchell to the police station where he was assigned, and a big commotion insued, with supervisors and rank officers getting involved. It's alleged that Mr. Sanchell then slapped one of the officers!

What was his punishment? A summons and a few citations!

This morning, most of the radio shows were receiving many calls from irate citizens complaining how that if it was a common citizen, they woud have been jailed and charged with a state crime, not to mention possibly being beaten by other officers!

( First, all are innocent until proven guilty )

My Take:

First, I must resist the urge to say to many New Orleanians, "I told you so". This stuff has being going on for years! Believe me, as a former NOPD officer, I was guilty of corruption on many occasions in the 70's when I served! It's an epidemic in this city and many of the local officials and police officials refuse to correct the problem. You know why, it's because many of them are corrupt as well! They enjoy many of the "perks" just like this officer did.

Google NOPD Officer Len Davis, convicted of placing a "hit" on a young female New Orleanian, and succeeding. Or google Antoinette Franks, the first police officer, a female no less, that murdered another police officer! You think this is a coincidence, that two NOPD police officers achieved such unique status? No coincidence! They were taught, trained, and incubated to become rogue cops!

When I served, I "never" even heard of an officer being issued a ticket. And yes, I would have never issued an officer a citation as well! It was just something that we all understood never to contemplate. It was called, the blue wall of silence!

Within one week of graduating from the New Orleans Police Academy, I was taught all the corruption tactics by other officers. And if you didn't cooperate, they will blacklist you. No officer would want to ride with you, befriend you, or a call for backup would be slow coming, and you would be unwanted on the force in general.

Having said that, that's precisely why I wrote COP OUT and Legal Minds. I wrote COP OUT to "admit" I was a corrupt officer and " begged "my fellow New Orleanians to forgive me! In my book, I tell all, including the crimes of other officers. I am extremely sorry that I didn't have the guts to report them, hence the name of my book, COP OUT!

I then wrote Legal Minds as a small token of my repentance and sorrow...by revealing ALL the unfair secrets, tactics, and procedures of rogue cops. To this day, as I travel across the United States speaking about crime and corruption, in my heart, I still carry the dishonor of being a corrupt police officer. It wasn't just my dishonor to the badge, but my oath to the people! Without my speaking out about this subject, and my newfound faith in God, I probably would have committed suicide by now! My crusade keeps me sane !

I really feel sorrow for my fellow New Orleanians. As I wrote in my books, one may be more apt to be a victim of a police officer in New Orleans than a common criminal! The police force is infested with rogue cops. And guess what, I've sent five certified letters to the chief, asstistant chief, academy supervisors, and others requesting to give a speech to the academy to admonish future recruits about the dangers of crime and corruption. None have written me back!

I'm invited to other venues and other cities, but not New Orleans. Why? I feel I may have been blacklisted! I would take it that if they were serious about this problem, then an ex- corrupt police officer who has "falling" might benefit new recruits. It might be a start.

This coming Friday I will appear on an international show to discuss police crimes and corruption, and I'll certainly be dealing with New Orleans. They may blacklist me, but only there, not any place else!

My fellow New Orleanians, protest this force, before you or your love ones meet a bad New Orleans cop!

Oh, by the way, I don't profit from my insane past. I'm happy to report that profits from COP OUT are donated to The St. Jude Childrens Hospital, Crime Stoppers, American Federation for the Blind, The American Red Cross, The Stop Rape Crisis Center, The Prevent Child Abuse Center, and Police foundations.