MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Headlines were dominated all week by problems at the Memphis Police Department.
Officer Melvin Robinson is the latest Memphis cop to find himself on the wrong side of the law. FBI agents arrested him after they found 10 kilos of cocaine in his squad car.
It's either been a week to remember or a week to forget for Memphis' top cop, Director Toney Armstrong. He's seen his department get criticized, scrutinized and some officers get ostracized.
Armstrong said, "It's been a tough week."
That tough week started when Memphis police officer Quattarra Gardner found herself in court after being charged with shoplifting. The seven year MPD veteran is accused of stealing around $800 worth of clothes from Macy's at Wolfchase.
The frustration continued for director Armstrong when his department revealed 79,000 memos dating back to 2006. Armstrong said, "There were memos that should have been upgraded to a report." That means tens of thousands of crimes may have gone unreported. "There were reports that didn't get the proper attention they should have gotten," he said.
Attention was back on the MPD again when an audit of the Organized Crime Unit revealed accusations of nepotism and improper spending, with officers dipping into a drug fund for personal items and indications of illegal overtime.
Director Armstrong admits it was "highly unusual and has raised concerns."
And then another blow, as Armstrong stated, "We had a thug posing as a police officer."
The 'thug' Armstrong referred to is Memphis Police Officer Melvin Robinson. Robinson was on duty, in uniform, in his patrol car when he was arrested by FBI agents with 10 kilos of cocaine in his patrol car.
"It angers me that hard working men and women in blue have had their ranks tainted."
Armstrong said it's obvious he has to look at the department's hiring practices and that's something he will do. He also announced he's formed a 'Quality Assurance Team' to review each and every police memo to ensure crimes are properly reported.
