HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Sex First, Then Arrest Hooker? Don't Cops Have Better Things to Do?

Views:945
@ReasonVids

The instant explosive devices detonated at last week's Boston Marathon, law enforcement's top priority became clear: catch those responsible for the murder and maiming of innocents.

Local, state, and federal agencies focused on the first duty of law enforcement, but dramatic acts of violence that command the attention of the entire nation represent a tiny share of all violence. It's on the days without high-profile carnage that law enforcement is more apt to lose focus, to allow countless other activities to compete for officers' attention. Call it distracted policing, screwy priorities, or a corollary of Reynolds' Second Law, but the more law enforcement does, the less it does well.

Even with falling crime rates and the emergence of new crime-fighting technology, the FBI reports that more than half of our nation's violent crimes go unsolved and unpunished. Many thousands of criminals are literally getting away with murder: From 1980 to 2008, nearly 185,000 cases of homicide and non-negligent homicide went unsolved.

And yet distractions abound. From speed traps to seat belt checkpoints, officers' actions often blur the lines between "peace keeping" and "revenue raising." Those who helm law enforcement agencies are always looking for the next way to expand their purview. And then there are the long-standing, commonplace distractions, like busting drug users, dealers, and prostitutes. Don't cops have better things to do?

Take the Pittsburgh-area officer who apparently allowed a prostitute to service him while he was in the service of the law.

Homestead Police Department Detective Ronald DePellegrin claims his actions have been taken out of context, but the context we have comes from the criminal complaint written by DePellegrin himself. He writes that "Becky Dymon," a woman he found online and the target of his sting operation, removed her clothes. The undercover detective disrobed, and explains what happened next: "Becky started to perform oral sex on me, when I said oh shit, the cops were coming."

Carl Bailey of the Homestead Police Union argues that DePellegrin did nothing wrong. "In the course of officers doing undercover work, sometimes they have to do what they have to do to effectuate an arrest," says Bailey.

What dedication: If duty calls, Homestead's finest are willing to endure oral sex!

DePellegrin arrested Dymon when she tried to flee, but the officer will reportedly not be punished. And don't be too quick to assume that official policy forbids officers from stripping naked while on the job. After a similar controversy erupted in 2010, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala declared, "While it's not inappropriate for a police officer to take off his clothes in connection with a prostitution investigation, if an officer engages in a sexual act, this may constitute outrageous government conduct." (What would have to transpire for the DA to be certain that "outrageous government conduct" had taken place?)

But what's more outrageous than the DA's hedging or whether a detective engaged in sexual shenanigans, is what Homestead officers did while fully-clothed and with the blessings of their superiors. The criminal complaint does not specify how much time DePellegrin spent poking around the web for call girls, but based on what can be gleaned from the document, this particular sting operation occupied the time of at least five officers. Two of them, DePellegrin and his partner who accompanied him on the sting, devoted quite a lot of time to the operation (including stopping by Walgreens to pick up condoms and baby wipes requested by Dymon).

Their priorities seem all the more wayward given the fact that Homestead suffers from some of the highest violent crime rates in the Pittsburgh area, rates roughly three times the national average.

It's hard to imagine Boston-area police officers trolling for hookers during their nationally televised manhunt, but all victims of violent crime deserve justice, whether or not their attacks attract attention from cable news. And even those who support prostitution stings must concede that before scarce resources are deployed for such a purpose, every murderer, rapist, robber, and shoplifter should be arrested first.

Video is just over two minutes.

Follow the show on Twitter (@DontCops) and submit your nominees for the next episode.

Go to http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/04/24/dont-cops-have-better-things-to-do for downloadable versions and subscribe to ReasonTV's YouTube Channel to receive notification when new material goes live.

"Don't Cops Have Better Things to Do?" is written and directed by Ted Balaker (@tedbalaker). Producer is Matt Edwards. Opening Animation by Meredith Bragg, and camera by Alex Manning. Music by audionautix.com and "The Contessa" is by Maurice and the Beejays (Magnatune Records).

reason
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason.tv
,
reason tv
,
reasontv
,
libertarian
,
cops
,
police
,
pittsburgh
,
reason foundation
,
homestead police department
,
homestead
,
pa
,
depellegrin
,
becky dymon
,
carl bailey
,
homestead police
,
police union
,
stephen zappala
    Thumbnail for How Medicaid & Obamacare Hurt the Poor - and How to Fix Them4:57
    How Medicaid & Obamacare Hurt the Poor - and How to Fix Them
    ReasonVids
    1003 views
    Thumbnail for We'll have to wait another 100 years before we see another beautiful moment like this.0:53
    We'll have to wait another 100 years before we see another beautiful moment like this.
    AOU
    1633 views
    Thumbnail for Biden stumbles and falls on the stairs of Air Force One.0:30
    Biden stumbles and falls on the stairs of Air Force One.
    AOU
    1780 views
    Thumbnail for Joe Rogan sees only "Young White Kids" Looting Sneakers, when videos clearly show Blacks on Blacks on Blacks10:43
    Joe Rogan sees only "Young White Kids" Looting Sneakers, when videos clearly show Blacks on Blacks on Blacks
    AOU
    973 views
    Thumbnail for Missile spotted in Beirut, Lebanon. Hand rubbing intensifies.0:22
    Missile spotted in Beirut, Lebanon. Hand rubbing intensifies.
    AOU
    1778 views
    Thumbnail for How Obama Revived the Freedom Movement: John J. Pitney, Jr. on the libertarian electorate6:48
    How Obama Revived the Freedom Movement: John J. Pitney, Jr. on the libertarian electorate
    ReasonVids
    1091 views
    Thumbnail for Civil War: Necessity vs. Luxury | Live From The Lair25:08
    Civil War: Necessity vs. Luxury | Live From The Lair
    Terrence Popp
    1321 views
    Thumbnail for Logan's Run 19761:58:31
    Logan's Run 1976
    movies.topic
    102 views
    Thumbnail for Paris Police Beat a Woman Who Tried To Go Shopping At The Mall Without A VAXX Passport And Arrest A Journalist Who Was Recording It1:15
    Paris Police Beat a Woman Who Tried To Go Shopping At The Mall Without A VAXX Passport And Arrest A Journalist Who Was Recording It
    AOU
    1499 views
    Thumbnail for Crisco Flows Through Lizzo | Grunt Speak Shorts15:52
    Crisco Flows Through Lizzo | Grunt Speak Shorts
    Terrence Popp
    854 views
    Thumbnail for Pelosi to land in Taipei Tomorrow Night, China Posts Threatening Military Video on Wechat Before Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan — Complete with Chinese Invading Forces Seizing Control of the Island Nation2:26
    Pelosi to land in Taipei Tomorrow Night, China Posts Threatening Military Video on Wechat Before Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan — Complete with Chinese Invading Forces Seizing Control of the Island Nation
    bestofpoal
    643 views
    Thumbnail for NY Can’t Teach Kids to Read on $30,000 a Year3:19
    NY Can’t Teach Kids to Read on $30,000 a Year
    ReasonVids
    1052 views
    Thumbnail for Mo Brooks Is Right: There Is a War on Whites9:35
    Mo Brooks Is Right: There Is a War on Whites
    AmericanRenaissance
    1633 views
    Thumbnail for Overdose Director Martin Borgs on the Next Financial Disaster9:10
    Overdose Director Martin Borgs on the Next Financial Disaster
    ReasonVids
    919 views
    Thumbnail for Facebook “Whistleblower” is Really a Plant | Grunt Speak Shorts6:45
    Facebook “Whistleblower” is Really a Plant | Grunt Speak Shorts
    Terrence Popp
    1766 views
    Thumbnail for Female representation is important1:00
    Female representation is important
    AOU
    2133 views
    Thumbnail for Where We Are Headed | Live From The Lair24:16
    Where We Are Headed | Live From The Lair
    Terrence Popp
    1700 views
    Thumbnail for 10 little bigger boys1:56
    10 little bigger boys
    AmericanMuskrat
    154 views
    Thumbnail for Duncan v. State of Nevada Lopez v. Schwartz Nevada School Choice17:25
    Duncan v. State of Nevada Lopez v. Schwartz Nevada School Choice
    IJvids
    1020 views
    Thumbnail for Airport Chimp Out2:16
    Airport Chimp Out
    AOU
    2065 views
    Thumbnail for Bárbara Bandeira - Mais3:17
    Bárbara Bandeira - Mais
    invidious
    104 views
    Thumbnail for Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson: Emails Reveal White House Hid Truths About Benghazi Attack18:20
    Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson: Emails Reveal White House Hid Truths About Benghazi Attack
    ReasonVids
    953 views
    Thumbnail for Timothy Sandefur on The Right to Earn a Living8:18
    Timothy Sandefur on The Right to Earn a Living
    ReasonVids
    840 views
    Thumbnail for But then, Hefest got this run | Pomi0:14
    But then, Hefest got this run | Pomi
    invidious
    236 views
    Thumbnail for This Country is Stealing Our Cars and Destroying the Car Industry | Scotty Kilmer10:03
    This Country is Stealing Our Cars and Destroying the Car Industry | Scotty Kilmer
    invidious
    351 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason.tv
,
reason tv
,
reasontv
,
libertarian
,
cops
,
police
,
pittsburgh
,
reason foundation
,
homestead police department
,
homestead
,
pa
,
depellegrin
,
becky dymon
,
carl bailey
,
homestead police
,
police union
,
stephen zappala
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle