Posted: July 5, 2008

When any organization is hit with the arrests of nine employees within a six-month span, some hard questions need to be asked. That’s especially true of an agency responsible for enforcing the law.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Michael Spears insists it’s “not fair to indict any other part of the Police Department” for the alleged actions of nine of his officers charged, since January, with crimes ranging from murder to theft to selling drugs. Spears may well be right, but his department needs to carefully explore whether there are internal policies, including hiring practices, that allow corrupt officers to operate within the ranks.

The latest embarrassment hit this week when IMPD Patrolman Jeremy Lee and his wife were accused of running a prostitution ring. Lee, according to an affidavit, acted as a bodyguard for the prostitutes his wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, managed. He even wore his police uniform while collecting money from the women.

Also caught up in the scandal is Jerry McCory, who is charged with patronizing one of the prostitutes employed by the Lees’ escort service. McCory resigned June 25 from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked as a liaison to Jail II and Liberty Hall. McCory previously had served as director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, police chief in Merrillville and public safety adviser to Mayor Bart Peterson.

Lee’s case is especially troubling because he was a recent hire, joining the department in October. Lee, the fifth IMPD officer arrested in the past three weeks, told investigators he had helped his wife run an escort service as far back as 10 years ago.

That bit of information calls into question how carefully Lee was screened before IMPD hired him.

In response to the recent arrests of three lawmen accused of stealing drugs and money from dealers, Spears called for reinstitution of polygraph tests for narcotics officers. It’s a move that makes good sense. And the department may need to make similar changes in its policies concerning oversight and recruitment.

The community entrusts its law officers with great responsibility and power. The trust has been broken, repeatedly, in recent months. Rebuilding it will take more than assurances that everything is OK beyond the reprehensible actions of a few.

Spears, Mayor Greg Ballard and their public safety team need to show they understand how serious is the damage that has been done and that they’re responding with proper swiftness and proportion.

Source: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080705/OPINION08/807050348/1291/OPINION08