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Lead Detective In Ticket-Fixing Probe Charged For Leaking Information
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 2, 2011
Modified Dec 2, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 2, 2011
Modified Dec 2, 2011
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The lead Internal Affairs detective investigating the massive NYPD ticket-fixing scandal has been charged by his own department for leaking information to one of the cops in the probe—allegedly to see whether she would share it with other cops. Detective Randy Katakofsky, who has been subject to death threats for his role in the probe, was hit with two charges for allegedly giving false information to Lt. Jennera-Everleth Cobb as a litmus test to see whether she would leak it to ticket-fixing targets with the cop's union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. "This a bogus charge, and it is not about what anyone thinks about ticket fixing,” said Katakofsky’s lawyer, Rae Dawn Koshetz. “This is an abuse of power to punish a detective who was doing his job.”
Katakofsky was officially accused of "improperly providing information he learned during the course of a confidential investigation to [to Lt. Cobb]," according to DNAInfo. He was also accused of "conducting an integrity test in violation of the Internal Affairs bureau guide." Pat Lynch, head of the Patrolemen’s Benevolent Association, said that any charges against Katakofsky “casts an air of doubt over the entire investigation.”
So far, 16 NYPD officers have been indicted in the Bronx on charges related to the department's investigation, while 160 others have also been implicated in the probe. Throughout everything, many cops continue to argue that ticket-fixing is a mere courtesy that has always been extended to other officers, their families, and other city officials.
Over at NYPD Rant, the message board for current and former NYPD officers, most of the users aren't too fond of Katakofsky—they posted his picture at one point, and at least one person said they thought Katakofsky should kill himself. Reacting to today's charges, some users saw it as yet another black mark on the NYPD, despite wanting to see Katakofsky go down: "What a mess. The good news is that it will help the officers involved. The bad news is that it will increase calls for more outside control over the NYPD. People leaked this info because they knew it was common practice, something Kelly will not admit. The job is doing it usual 'I'm shocked' routine."
Tagged
bronx
crime
nypd
Probe
ticket-fixing
ticket-fixing probe
ticket-fixing scandal
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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