Baltimore Police Commissioner stands with officers despite video evidence of cops planting drugs.

Davis says drugs legitimately found, arrests valid in two body-camera cases where drug planting is alleged.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said Wednesday there was “no doubt” that illegal drugs were legitimately recovered in two criminal cases that were dropped by prosecutors amid questions surrounding officer body-camera footage.

Defense attorneys in both cases have alleged that the footage showed officers planting drugs.

In the first video, recorded in January and released by the public defender’s office last month, a police officer can be seen placing a bag of alleged drugs in a debris-strewn back yard, walking to the street, activating his body camera — which automatically saved footage of the 30 seconds prior to activation — and then walking back into the alley and recovering the bag.

The second video, released Tuesday, shows officers conducting a search of a vehicle and finding nothing in the front driver’s side area of the car. Then, about 30 minutes later, it shows an officer leaning down into the same area of the vehicle and back up with a bag of alleged drugs.

Just one of the many reasons why drugs should be legalized or at minimum, de-criminalized.

Does anyone really agree that getting high (a non-violent drug offense) should be a felony which results in the loss of your freedom?

Imagine if drugs were de-criminalized. What would happen?

De-criminalizing drugs would probably mean the loss of jobs, specifically the downsizing of police departments and prisons.

The prison population would probably be reduced by... 50%?

But isnt that a good thing? Ultimately an evolved society will have little need for police and prisons.

Lets be honest, the war on drugs is big business and employs a lot of people.

Until we can overpower the special interests, our only recourse is to nullify these laws as jurors and hang the jury by finding drug users not guilty.

Not to keep beating the anti-"that's the way it has always been" drum, but did you expect anything less? The system in place has always come up with "justifications" rightly or wrongly. It doesn't surprise me that they're just basically writing this off as "something that happens, shrug" too.

a reply to: gladtobehere

Until society cares more about helping people than it does punishing them, there won't be any drastic changes.

Hopefully that point isn't too far in the future.

It is moments like these that bring people to saying "# the police."

Has nothing to do with wanting to kill cops and/or breaking the law and getting away with it...

... has everything to do with cops breaking the law and not only getting away with it, but being defended to the T even after blatantly obvious videos are present that show criminal behavior by those meant to "protect and serve."

I'm curious... who do they protect us from? Who do they serve?

Because they certainly don't protect us from criminals with no regard to the law, and they certainly don't serve the public.

So Baltimore Police Commissioner admits to and stands behind department corruption. I'm not really surprised.

The people's definition must differ.

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: gladtobehere

Until society cares more about helping people than it does punishing them, there won't be any drastic changes.

Hopefully that point isn't too far in the future.

Great point.

Punishment isn't working.

a reply to: gladtobehere

I think these allegations are less about drug laws and more about the three officers who appear to have planted the gear. Yes, there's a wider debate on the war on drugs, but this seems to be a case of officers going off the reservation and possibly framing someone for supplying. Would they be honest cops if there was no war on drugs? That's the issue here imo.

When I watched these guys apparently planting the bag of drugs, I wondered where they got it from? Why did they have it? According to this article:

The officer, Richard Pinheiro, has been suspended with pay, while two other cops in the video have been placed on administrative duty as the investigation pends. More than thirty other cases the three officers were to serve as witnesses for are now being dismissed.

It's a dirty world and heroin dealers are amongst the lowest of the low. It can ruin communities and has almost a 100% success rate of breaking up families and causing deprivation for children. Sometimes police have planted evidence to bust people who would otherwise be profiting off ruined lives. It's not right, but imo it's understandable.

The thing is, the laws have to be upheld and LEOs should abide by them.

originally posted by: RomeByFire
It is moments like these that bring people to saying "# the police."

Has nothing to do with wanting to kill cops and/or breaking the law and getting away with it...

... has everything to do with cops breaking the law and not only getting away with it, but being defended to the T even after blatantly obvious videos are present that show criminal behavior by those meant to "protect and serve."

I'm curious... who do they protect us from? Who do they serve?

Because they certainly don't protect us from criminals with no regard to the law, and they certainly don't serve the public.

Well informed juries around the country could change police behavior, I reckon. Juries that convict, not acquit, police officers charged would quickly send the message that such behavior will be tolerated.

Easier said than done,

a reply to: RomeByFire

I'm with you %100. The system is broken and I'm going to go a little off topic just to show how bad it is.

About 6 months ago I got pulled over for speeding, come to find out my license is suspended ( Stupid mistake I have rectified). I get taken to jail and I bail out immediately. Here's where things get bad fast. I knew I would be receiving papers to appear in court, and instead I check my mail and have a little post like card that's says my bond has been revoked for failure to appear and there is a warrant for my arrest. I was just thinking wtf, I never got served.

I took that post card right to the court house and instead of even begging to tell them they obviously made a mistake I was arrested again immediately, but this time there is no bail. I could not believe it, I have a family, career, a life and I felt it was just all being pulled from under me. After being put in general I realized very quickly I would be sitting there for about 6 months before I would even have a day in court. 6 Months!!! And not even convicted.

I called the wife and thank goodness for her. She told me she already talked to a family lawyer and he told her I was about to get railroaded and he would demand my immediate release, but it wouldn't come cheap almost 5k. I told her get my check book and go write him a check. It took him about a week to find my summons to appear in court. And guess where it was?? Still sitting in the county clerks office. As he promised the judge ordered my immediate release, all charges dropped. It only costs about 2 weeks of my life and around 6k after lawyer and other expenses

I will say i felt bad for alot if people in there, the vast majority where in jail doing 6 months to a year on simple possession charges, and it's those ridicules charges that are causing a 6 months backlog just to have your day in court. I also felt bad I was able to afford an attorney and almost nobody else in there could or they would probably be walking free.

The system is broken and a joke, I have viewed it first hand and I'm sure others on here have as well. All drugs need to be de-criminalized. That would put an end to the stuff like this happening in Baltimore and across the county.

a reply to: 772STi

You were lucky. When I was locked up in L.A. county there was a guy in there who had got arrested on a traffic violation, (no license, unpaid tickets, I forgot exactly what it was) got in a couple fights while inside, ended up hurting one of the guys pretty bad, and is now doing life.

All because of defending himself from other inmates while locked up in jail over a traffic violation.

That's how insane our "justice" system has become.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: gladtobehere

I think these allegations are less about drug laws and more about the three officers who appear to have planted the gear. Yes, there's a wider debate on the war on drugs, but this seems to be a case of officers going off the reservation and possibly framing someone for supplying. Would they be honest cops if there was no war on drugs? That's the issue here imo.

When I watched these guys apparently planting the bag of drugs, I wondered where they got it from? Why did they have it? According to this article:

The officer, Richard Pinheiro, has been suspended with pay, while two other cops in the video have been placed on administrative duty as the investigation pends. More than thirty other cases the three officers were to serve as witnesses for are now being dismissed.

It's a dirty world and heroin dealers are amongst the lowest of the low. It can ruin communities and has almost a 100% success rate of breaking up families and causing deprivation for children. Sometimes police have planted evidence to bust people who would otherwise be profiting off ruined lives. It's not right, but imo it's understandable.

The thing is, the laws have to be upheld and LEOs should abide by them.

Blind support of the police will never help anyone. Oh they were just framing this innocent guy for the good of everyone else?

If anyone thinks this is an isolated incident and only in Baltimore then you have your head way up your own ass.

This is rampant all over the country in all Police departments , they will frame you in an absolute second if you dont show them the respect they think they deserve because they put on a uniform.

a reply to: underwerks

Yes I was very lucky, but it still bothers me, after being released I went and met with my lawyer mainly to thank him, and he showed me the papers the judge signed. This judge signed my papers to be served at 10:30am and on the SAME DAY in the afternoon signed the papers to put a warrant for my arrest. It's like man really??

They know they messed up that's why even the driving on a suspended was dropped. The judge actually called my lawyer to make sure I was released an "ok". She was covering her ass. He said in 20 years of dealing with that same judge she has never called his office. Just ridiculous

a reply to: notsure1

Let me summarise because you seem to have read the post looking out of your own ass.

Point 1 was asking if these three are honest cops.

Point 2 was asking why they had bags of heroin on them.

Point 3 was police have sometimes planted drugs on guilty people.

Point 4 was they need to uphold the law and not plant drugs.

Is that easier to understand?

a reply to: Kandinsky

Nice one, cheered me right up. Just lol

a reply to: notsure1
Bingo! You've nailed it squarely. The more people they arrest for "drugs", the bigger the problem appears to be and the more money they can collect from the feds and poor unsuspecting citizens who decide to use cash and carry it on their persons. They get the drugs they "drop" from other drug users who aren't charged for whatever reason---same as "extra" guns that can be "dropped" in the right place. Evidence rooms "lose" evidence all the time. Our city's evidence room once "lost" about $1000 (or so it was said, some said it was much more) from their "evidence locker" and despite an "official" investigation, nothing could be found to indicate how the money walked away from the locker. Swept under the rug like most cop-committed crimes and everyone happily keeps their job.

Nixon knew exactly what he was doing when he set up this program and it has paid off royally for his many minions. It's way past time to abolish it and get back to prosecuting crimes that have actual victims.

a reply to: gladtobehere


Smells like a top to bottom job. Besides drugs gots to pour over the border some way, some how and down to your local street corner.

originally posted by: 772STi
a reply to: Kandinsky

Nice one, cheered me right up. Just lol

I've asked SkepticOverlord to integrate a crayola font. Fingers crossed!

a reply to: gladtobehere

Wasn't Serpico shot up because he actually went against the common practice? Oh yeah, he tried to expose the big blue lie.

The police chief is backing his guys because he's probably in on it.

originally posted by: kelbtalfenek
a reply to: gladtobehere

Wasn't Serpico shot up because he actually went against the common practice? Oh yeah, he tried to expose the big blue lie.

The police chief is backing his guys because he's probably in on it.

Where do you think those cops got the drugs from to plant on innocent people in the first place.... Thanks chief...

This isn't super shocking or surprising unfortunately. This is the kind of thing that really pisses people off and makes many question when the police investigate the police in general..or say, nothing to see here.
It is why me and others are skeptical about things like the Justine Damond killing, it might be all proper but we will always wonder.