ARRESTING DEVELOPMENTS

Under the leadership of Charlie Wells, the Manatee County Sheriff's
Office has enjoyed a reputation for integrity and professionalism. It
may take a long time, however, for the department to overcome the
shame brought upon it by rogue members of its once-elite Delta Division.

An ongoing federal probe into the anti-drug task force is detailing
how deputies on a poorly supervised Delta team stole from suspects,
planted evidence, falsified documents and more.

Two former Delta deputies, Paul D. Maass and Wayne V. Wyckoff, pleaded
guilty to civil rights violations and other crimes, and a third, Tommy
C. Wooten, faces a charge of tampering with a federal witness.
Prosecutors say more Delta officers may face indictments soon.
Yesterday, a corrections officer, Chris Moore, was charged in
connection with an arson case involving Maass.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa confirmed last week that an
informant inside the Delta force secretly tape-recorded conversations
in which deputies allegedly discussed how to hide the theft of $6,000
from a Bradenton man in 1998.

Sheriff Wells, who said he didn't know about the tapes until last
week, said he wished the informant and others had cooperated with an
internal investigation last year.

The anti-drug unit has been restructured, with more supervision, but
much of the damage can't be undone. More than 100 cases against 67
defendants were dropped because of Delta corruption, and more cases
are under review.

As Sheriff Wells has been quick to point out, credibility is essential
for law enforcement officers because their testimony has the power to
send people to prison. Clearly, that power has been abused by some
deputies. They must be dealt with harshly.

Officers who dishonor their badges are as much a danger to the
community as criminals. They deserve to be treated
accordingly.