U.S.: COPS TOOK DRUG CASH

Indictments To Be Revealed Today

Indictments are expected to be announced today for as many as 17 Detroit
Police officers on federal allegations that they looted money from drug
dealers and prostitutes, police officials said Wednesday.

Former Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown, who headed the department's public
corruption unit, said Wednesday that his former staff had been working on
the case with FBI agents since last summer.

"A lot of the complainants are going to be drug addicts, prostitutes and
drug dealers -- people who don't usually have a lot of credibility," Brown
said. "That's why the investigation took so long."

Nonetheless, Brown said, the cases are solid.

"These are going to be strong cases," he said, adding that he has never seen
this many officers indicted at one time. "Some of these allegations involve
officers illegally raiding dope houses without search warrants, stealing
drugs and money."

Brown was fired May 9 allegedly for investigating accusations of wrongdoing
by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his inner circle. Brown said the police
indictments were supposed to come down last month, but his firing may have
delayed it.

Detroit Police Chief Jerry Oliver and FBI spokeswoman Dawn Clenney both
declined to comment Wednesday.

But three police executives, all of whom requested anonymity because they
were not to discuss the matter publicly, said a news conference on the
indictments will be held today.

Commander Charles Barbieri, in charge of the 4th (Fort-Green) Precinct, said
Wednesday that he was unaware of any pending indictments and had only heard
unsubstantiated speculation that some officers may be indicted.

The indictments, if unsealed, would come a week after the troubled
department was hit with two court-ordered consent decrees, filed in U.S.
District Court in Detroit. The decrees call for significant changes in the
training and guidelines police use for handling confrontations.

U.S. Justice Department investigators condemned the department in a
complaint for failing to train, supervise, monitor and discipline officers
who brutalized people, illegally detained witnesses and subjected prisoners
to harm.

Police officials said Wednesday that the indictments all stem from
allegations against officers in southwest Detroit, primarily the 3rd
(Vernor) and 4th precincts. Brown also said that the cases stem from
southwest Detroit.

A 3rd Precinct officer, who also requested anonymity, said Wednesday that at
least 20 officers from both precincts testified on the matter before federal
grand juries earlier this year.

Last year, three officers from the 5th (Jefferson) Precinct were sentenced
in U.S. District Court on similar charges.

The officers, Rodney Rice, 42, Irvin Upshaw, 43, and Larone Cook, 33, were
convicted in April 2001 on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit
extortion. They were acquitted at trial of providing protection to drug
organizations and other drug- and gun-related charges.

Upshaw was sentenced March 26, 2002 to 20 years in prison; Rice to 17 1/2
years and Cook to 14 1/2 years.

Marty Bandemer, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, said
Wednesday that he was unfamiliar with the latest federal indictments.

"The DPOA believes strongly in the U.S. Constitution and the right to due
process under the law," he said, adding he also can't recall such a large
indictment. "All citizens are innocent until proven guilty, whether it's a
police officer or any other individual."

Megan Norris, chairwoman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, said
while the allegations are troubling, she's pleased they were uncovered.

"I think the fact that an internal investigation in cooperation with other
law enforcement agencies can uncover this kind of wrongdoing should give
citizens confidence in the integrity of our department," she said.