Cops intentionally letting criminals go? Pugh comes unhinged again

Perhaps no time in Detroit’s history has it been more difficult to be a cop.

They work longer hours for less pay. Rampant violence is a constant hazard. The police force is woefully understaffed. And there’s no permanent police chief to take command.

But that’s not enough for the exceedingly unpredictable Council President Charles Pugh, who went on a tirade against police Tuesday by accusing them, on heresy, of intentionally coming to court unprepared so dangerous criminals can run free.

So incensed was Pugh, who heard about this alleged scheme from an unnamed constituent, that he called for an immediate investigation.
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Never mind that he has no strong evidence. Or that he never bothered to quietly investigate before spewing the allegations to a media frothing for controversy.

So I decided to do what Pugh wouldn’t: I called three district court judges to find out what these police really were up to. If cops were coming to court with the intention of derailing cases, surely judges would be incensed, right? After all, their cash-strapped budget depends on court fees and fines of defendants who are found, well, guilty.

Here’s what I found out: Police are so overworked that they either can’t make it to court or they are so overwhelmed with a rising number of cases that it’s nearly impossible to properly defend them.

Fatigued police arrive to work with a long list of cases to investigate – assaults, domestic violence, rape and murder. They don’t have the luxury of spending hours in one of the country’s busiest courts.

So while Pugh, in his dapper suits and downtown loft, is casting suspicion on our brave, hardworking cops, the real leaders of the city – the men and women in blue – are trying to save lives, and retain their own.

If only Pugh would let them do their job, with dignity.

  budget, charles pugh, Council President, detroit, police, steve

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

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