The village of Brooklyn, Illinois is known for many things. It’s known as a bastion of strip clubs and massage parlors, possessing a raunchy image as a buffet of debauchery and a picnic of pornography, with an infamous national reputation.
Years ago, Brooklyn was best known for being “the place” for buying the best take-out Chinese food in the Metro East.
However, as of late, the Brooklyn Police Department has captured more of the spotlight, as they have been under siege following a raid by state and county law enforcement, resulting from allegations of mishandled evidence.
As a result, a former village cop resigned after being charged with two felonies, another quit amid speculation that he took an assault rifle from an evidence locker, and Brooklyn Police Chief Steve Mitchell stepped down within days of the initial raid.
Subsequently, St. Clair County prosecutors have tossed out almost two dozen criminal cases investigated by the Brooklyn police, primarily due to concerns by St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly.
Kelly also dispatched a letter to Brooklyn Mayor Vera Glasper-Banks regarding allegations that Brooklyn police felt pressured to tow vehicles in order to generate revenue for payroll. To add insult to injury, many of the vehicles were towed by a company owned by the uncle of a former Brooklyn officer.
That’s problematic for Brooklyn, in that the village is one of four Metro East police departments that signed a policy (as part of the Metro East Police District Commission) agreeing to avoid any potential conflicts of interest in the prosecution of criminal cases.
Then, if things aren’t already bad enough, a naked woman was recently found murdered and abandoned in an open field, the result of a gunshot wound.
All of this is bad news for a village with a reputation for being a “hot mess” from an ethical, moral and political perspective.
At the rate they’re going, Brooklyn will soon have to change its name to something more appropriate, like “Crooklyn”, if things don’t get better.
Yes, Brooklyn butters its bread from the proceeds of those who like to spend their evenings drinking, carousing and “making it rain,” but if rogue cops, conflicts of interest, corruption and safety issues become the order of the day, that may become a thing of the past.
Hopefully, Brooklyn’s elected officials will perceive their latest storm of controversy as a needed wakeup call and right their capsized ship before it is too late.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.
