TROUBLED NYPD UNIT HAD A HISTORY, SOURCES SAY

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly ordered a high-level shake-up in
Brooklyn South Narcotics after four cops were arrested in two
embarrassing incidents, but police sources said there has been
dissatisfaction with the unit as far back as 2003.

That's when 24 detectives and six sergeants were demoted to patrol
duty after Internal Affairs investigators uncovered an overtime scam
in which the cops were caught putting in for hours they didn't work.
E-ZPass records showed the accused passing through toll booths when
they were supposed to be working, police officials said.

More recently, however, the accusations grew more serious - cops
stealing drugs and money - and on Monday, Kelly transferred the
citywide narcotics commander, Deputy Chief James O'Neill, and the
Brooklyn South Narcotics boss, Insp. James O'Connell, as well as two
narcotics captains. Deputy Chief Joseph Reznick, who has a reputation
as a hard-charging commander with a hands-on approach, will replace O'Neill.

The shake-up, sources said, is not an indication that the supervisors
knew about the alleged wrongdoing and looked the other way, but
rather a message that they should have known.

"The transfers speak for themselves," said the New York Police
Department's top spokesman, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne.

Investigators, meanwhile, will pore over about 130 cases to see if
there is any evidence that cops from that unit stole money or drugs
seized from dealers.

Police say two officers, a sergeant and a detective have been
arrested and suspended for their role in two cases. In the first
case, Det. Sean Johnstone was caught on his own wire, police said,
bragging about how he had seized 28 bags of cocaine during a Sept. 13
buy-and-bust, but had turned in only 17 bags. They said Johnstone
also implicated his partner, Officer Julio Alvarez.

Johnston and Alvarez, each seven-year veterans, were charged in
December with official misconduct and falsifying business records.

More important, the arrests sparked a larger probe and led to the
arrests last week of Sgt. Michael Arenella and Officer Jerry Bowens.
Arenella, an eight-year veteran, and Bowens, a 12-year veteran,
allegedly took $250 and 40 bags of cocaine from an undercover officer
posing as a drug dealer.

The suspects were slapped with drug and official misconduct charges,
and Bowens is likely to face additional departmental charges for
having a sexual relationship with an informant, sources said.

In addition, 15 other cops have been put on desk duty and have been
replaced with officers from other units.