Sheriff's deputies in Palm Beach, Fla., don't lie and plant evidence because they're particularly corrupt or desperate to make an arrest—they do it as a way of life, according to a deputy who spoke anonymously. DC Post caught up with him after he posted a blog on a police tactics website saying he keeps a "small plastic dime baggie with Cocaine in residue" to plant on "mouthy drivers, street lawyers, [and] a--holes." The deputy, who has 15 years' experience, provided proof of his employment at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Among his quotes:
- "I work nights on the Road Patrol in a rough, um, mostly black neighborhood. Planting evidence and lying in your reports are just part of the game."
- He blames the war on drugs for pressuring deputies to make arrests, but adds that most drug suspects are "going to be out of jail tomorrow anyway; nothing is going to happen to them."
- When new deputies come on board, "they always had new creative ways to get things done. So I suppose yeah, it is common everywhere." In fact, his department is being sued for it now, the Sun-Sentinel reports, but the deputy says nothing will come of it because the Sheriff will settle out of court—and settlements "are all confidential."
- He doesn't admit to targeting "based on race," but says it's "much easier to do this on a black person because they have no credibility anyways. ... Then you still have the deputies who like doing it to the rich white guys because they say it removes the smug look from their faces."
- "These people aren’t innocent. If we are dealing with someone, there is a reason for it. We don’t really interact with members of the law abiding public."
- "Our top boss, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, supports this behavior and has for his entire career."
And no deputies complain, he says, because they get great salaries, benefits, and "cars that we can use for our personal use any time we want." Click for the full interview. (More War on Drugs stories.)
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