Citizen complains that officers want to extort money

cynthia pitts

There is little doubt that the public’s perception is that corruption is rampant within the Police Department.  So when a citizen comes forth and files a formal complaint of alleged extortion by two police officers, it comes as no surprise.  And that is exactly what happened a few days ago.  But while the allegation adds to the perception, Ombudsman Cynthia Pitts says this report may need a closer look before any conclusions can be made.

Cynthia Pitts, Ombudsman

“It was last Friday that a citizen came in and made a complaint that he believed that he was being extorted, you would say, by two police officers. They were demanding certain things from him and that he wouldn’t be charged if he handed up certain things. Well it sounded as if it was a serious offence enough to have my writing a letter to the Commissioner of Police. Since then, I have spoken to the two officers and one of them spent quite some time with me in explaining certain things and I followed the usual procedure of writing to them and asking for their written comments and when I receive what they will write, I will know what I should do further. Because if what they are saying is in strong contrast to what the citizen is saying then I think we will have to have a hearing—that all parties are called in.”

Marion Ali

“You said you’ve written to the Commissioner, have you gotten any reaction from him?”

Cynthia Pitts

“No, no I haven’t gotten any—well I have spoken to him before I wrote to him I spoke to him and he was of the view that it was not a case of extortion, but the method used by the officers to get information. I do hear what the citizen is alleged to have done.  but apparently the conversation with the officers were not so much with what he did, but his involvement with some drug bust that had taken place. They had a drug investigation and he is alleged by the officers to have been involved and so it was not so much what he did. He did do something but the people that he did it to were apparently afraid to come forth and so the police are questioning him about some other matters.”

The officers are still on the job until the investigation is complete.