The Hidden Side of the NYPD

[Blue_Tires]

The New York City Police Department is the largest — and one of the oldest — police forces in the United States. It's familiar around the world through depictions in TV and movies, and since Sept. 11, 2001, it has been revered for the bravery and sacrifices of its officers. It's also a secretive organization fraught with corruption, misconduct and a dangerous lack of public accountability, argues reporter Leonard Levitt in his new book, NYPD Confidential. A former TIME reporter, Levitt wrote a New York Newsday column about the department for 11 years, once so angering police commissioner Ray Kelly that Kelly traveled to the newspaper's Long Island headquarters to complain in person to Levitt's editors. Levitt spoke with TIME about the department's need for reform, the "cloak of Sept. 11" and the flawed leadership at One Police Plaza.

Even people who don't live in New York City feel familiar with the department, thanks to shows like NYPD Blue and the ubiquitous logo on hats and T-shirts. What are some things they may not know?

It's truly one of the great institutions in the world. There's very little they cannot do when they set their minds to it. The "Son of Sam" serial-killer case was solved by real detective work. They landed helicopters on the roof of the World Trade Center in 1993 to rescue victims after the bombing. But at the same time, it is a deeply flawed institution, beginning with the leadership of the department and leadership at City Hall. There are egos that are out of control, and there's very little or no civilian accountability.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1911109,00.html