October 06, 2013
Cop’s sad case
The policeman who admitted this week of giving drugs and cigarettes to prisoners is guilty of being an idiot, but not guilty of being a bad person.
I say that because if Waitakere Constable Lotovale "Lou" Perese was a bad egg, detectives would have found evidence that he profited from his illegal antics.
He is not like some of those bad cops we hear about like convicted rapists Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton.
Instead Perese has lost a job he enjoyed and will forever be known as a cop who crossed the line.
And for what?
I'm not sure what he'll get when he's sentenced but most legal eagles are tipping home detention.
It's a real shame when this happens to one of our police officers but at least Perese did the right thing and early in the piece admitted smuggling parcels of tobacco, cigarettes, cannabis, letters, lighters, tattoo ink, USB sticks, a cellphone, a watch and various other items to prisoners over a six-month period.
He also did the right thing and quit the police to stop further embarrassment.
The shame he and his whanau have and will face at sentencing is that it will be in the very same court he escorted prisoners to and from and will serve as a lifetime punishment.
A friend of mine knows Perese and will vouch for his integrity, but can't and won't defend his stupidity.
The father of five escorted prisoners between the court cells and courtrooms at the Waitakere District Court.
Perese – a police officer for 13 years – also organised prisoners to be taken to interview rooms for meetings with their lawyers.
It was a sought-after job because of the great work conditions.
Problem was, once Perese crossed that line – for whatever reason – there was no turning back.
Once he had agreed to handover that first parcel, there was no way of clawing his way out.
What Perese should have done when he received his first text message asking for a favour and had that first sealed parcel in his hand was report it to his superiors.
How prisoners and their contacts got his personal cellphone number should be investigated.
Had he reacted the right way, the police would have begun an operation and instead of Perese being drummed out of the force in disgrace, he could have been used to lock up even more criminals.
The smuggling came to light last year when an operation was launched.
Perese was identified, placed under surveillance and the evidence gathered.
The operation came to an end in August when police arrested Perese on his way to work, while city detectives went to his west Auckland home to search for more evidence.
It was sad way to end a 13-year career.
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