Pubdate: Wed, 01 Sep 1999
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 1999 The Miami Herald
Contact:  One Herald Plaza, Miami FL 33132-1693
Fax: (305) 376-8950
Website: http://www.herald.com/
Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?mherald

WRONG PERSON SHIELDED

Opa-Locka Police Pull Drug Dealer `Duty'

Nail the supervisors who ordered this galling protection.

If Opa-locka police honchos really had been concerned about criminal
activity at a drug dealer's "gym," they would have raided the place,
not protected it, as some officers have told federal investigators
they were ordered to do in 1996.

According to those officers, everyone from the police chief to the
police dog knew that the gym was owned by Rickey Brownlee, a major
drug thug. Their allegations open one more avenue along which an
ongoing federal investigation must proceed. And if former police
officials, including ex-Chief Arlington Sands and demoted Deputy Chief
Craig Collins, are found to have been doing dirty work for Brownlee,
they ought to be nailed. Brownlee was found guilty last week on
charges of drug dealing and faces life in prison. That's just how long
his sentence should be.

Officers' stories of protecting a criminal enterprise that for years
has debased and devalued the lives of residents in the city and beyond
are especially disgusting.

Opa-locka is a poor city, burdened as well by crime and residents'
apathy. New, capable and progressive professionals, finally, lead the
city administration and the Police Department. But the city's
potential won't be realized until the vestiges of corruption and
incompetence are swept from its administration and commission dais.

Out of necessity, myriad investigations are pointing the way: The
Internal Revenue Service is looking at city spending; the FBI is
looking into federal funding for the city's housing authority; the
Miami-Dade state attorney's office last week filed an ethics complaint
against Commissioner Timothy Holmes alleging misuse of a phone meant
for business purposes; and now, allegations of "security detail" for a
drug dealer demand investigation as well.

Only then will this burdened city be able to mine its potential.
Opa-locka, in Northwest Miami-Dade County, is well-located to attract
commerce from both Miami-Dade and Broward counties; an international
transportation concern will be providing aviation maintenance at
Opa-locka Airport; the state of Florida is building an administrative
center. Next week, Gov. Jeb Bush and the state's drug czar are
scheduled to outline Florida's new drug policy in Opa-locka's
Triangle, a small piece of real estate with a notorious reputation for
drug dealing and a major obstacle to redevelopment. City
administrators are working to add needed police officers.

New officers, however, cannot alone remake a suspect department, much
less a needy city. Residents too must make a strong commitment to
rebuild community pride.
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