Drug enforcement unit plagued with problems
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A two-year investigation into Detroit's top drug enforcement unit uncovered a pattern of secret deals with drug dealers, missing cash and falsified search warrant affidavits.
Why it matters: The investigative report, completed in November by the DPD but made public this week, raises questions about whether officers were protecting the public or enriching themselves.
- During the investigation, four supervisors and eight officers resigned or retired, according to the department.
Context: The findings are another hit to the department's reputation. In the last year, four current and former drug enforcement officers have been charged in a separate corruption investigation into the city's towing operations.
Flashback: This investigation started in 2019 after officer Michael Mosley was charged with taking $15,000 in bribes in exchange for dropping a drug dealer's case.
- He was sentenced last year to 18 months in prison.
Between the lines: Mosley's case was an example of "flipping," when officers unilaterally agreed to release drug suspects for supplying police with information.
- Investigators interviewed dozens of "flipped" offenders. They found the practice caused "a costly impact on public safety" by releasing drug dealers back into the community without any follow-up prosecution.
What's next: Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy returned three warrant requests related to the report for more investigation, according to WDET.