Who testified at the Knapp Commission?
In addition to the testimony of "lamplighters" ( whistleblowers) Serpico and Durk, testimony from dozens of other witnesses, including former Police Commissioner Howard R. Leary, corrupt patrolmen, and the victims of police shakedowns, was heard. From 1970 to 1972, Michael F. Armstrong was chief counsel to the Knapp Commission.
Who are the members of the Knapp Commission?
In 1970, Mayor Lindsay appointed the five members to serve on the Knapp Commission : Whitman Knapp, Chair Arnold Bauman Franklin A Thomas Cyrus Vance Joseph Monserrat
What was the Knapp Commission Quizlet?
The Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission, after its chairman Whitman Knapp) was a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department.
Who is Judge Whitman Knapp?
On June 15, 1972, Whitman Knapp, Chairman of the Knapp Commission, was nominated as a federal judge for the Southern District of New York by President Richard M. Nixon .
Who is Frank Serpico and what was the Knapp Commission?
Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed a five-member panel to investigate accusations of police corruption, which became the Knapp Commission....Frank SerpicoKnown forWhistleblower on police corruption and subsequent shootingPolice careerDepartmentNew York Police DepartmentService years1959–197211 more rows
Where is Frank Serpico living today?
Serpico, now 85 and living in Brooklyn, had been awarded the department's highest honor in 1972. But at that point he had come forward with allegations of police corruption and was shunned by many of his colleagues.
When did Serpico testify?
December 1971Serpico testified in December 1971 to a panel appointed by Mayor John Lindsay to investigate police corruption, breaking the “blue wall of silence,” the protection that fellow officers sometimes give each other, such as refusing to testify.
What New York City police officer shared his tales of corruption with the New York Times which resulted in the Knapp Commission?
Honest cop Frank Serpico still fighting for the truth 50 years after exposing NYPD corruption before the Knapp Commission. On the morning of Dec. 14, 1971, NYPD undercover detective Frank Serpico put on his only suit. The son of an immigrant cobbler then stopped to get his good pair of shoes shined.
Where is Justin Volpe today?
Volpe is currently serving a 30-year sentence at the Low Beaumont Federal Correctional Facility in southern Texas after he pleaded guilty to civil rights violations.
Who was the star witness of the Knapp Commission quizlet?
Frank Serpico was a star witness for the Knapp Commission.
Did Serpico get a gold shield?
On May 14, 1971, Serpico was given a gold shield by the Police Commissioner and promoted to Detective.
Who was the first policewoman hired by LAPD in 1910?
Alice Stebbins WellsAlice Stebbins Wells (June 13, 1873 – August 17, 1957) was one of the first American-born female police officers in the United States, hired in 1910 in Los Angeles.
What is the most prevalent type of corruption in law enforcement?
The most common type of police corruption is the acceptance of bribes from those who deal in the vices of gambling, prostitution, illegal drinking, and the illegal use of drugs.
Which type of corrupt officer was identified by the Knapp Commission as an officer who aggressively uses police power for personal gain?
The Knapp Commission Report on Police Corruption identified two particular classes of corrupt police officer, which it called "Grass Eaters" and "Meat Eaters". This classification refers to petty corruption under peer pressure ("eating grass") and aggressive premeditated major corruption ("eating meat").
Who was the chief counsel of the Knapp Commission?
Michael F. ArmstrongMichael F. Armstrong, whose dogged pursuit and exposure of crooked cops as chief counsel to the Knapp Commission in the early 1970s was credited with smothering an ingrained culture of corruption in the New York City Police Department, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 86.
Which public body led an investigation into police corruption in New York City and uncovered a widespread network of payoffs and briberies?
43), In 1971, Frank Serpico brought to light police corruption in New York City, and the Knapp Commission investigation that followed uncovered widespread corruption among officers of all ranks.
Who was the chief counsel of the Knapp Commission?
From 1970 to 1972, Michael F. Armstrong was chief counsel to the Knapp Commission. Nicholas Scoppetta served as associate counsel. As an immediate result of the testimony of the witnesses, criminal indictments against corrupt police officials were handed down.
What is the Knapp Commission?
The Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption (known informally as the Knapp Commission, after its chairman Whitman Knapp) was a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department. The creation of the commission was largely a result of the publicity generated by the public revelations of police corruption made by Patrolman Frank Serpico and Sergeant David Durk. The commission concluded that the NYPD had systematic corruption problems, confirming the existence of widespread corruption and made a number of recommendations.
How many members of the Knapp Commission were appointed in 1970?
In 1970, Mayor Lindsay appointed five members to serve on the Knapp Commission:
Who wrote the Knapp Commission report on police corruption?
Braziller, G. (Ed.) (1972). The Knapp Commission Report on Police Corruption. New York: George Braziller.
Who was Whitman Knapp?
On June 15, 1972, Whitman Knapp, Chairman of the Knapp Commission, was nominated as a federal judge for the Southern District of New York by President Richard M. Nixon .
What is the Knapp report on police corruption?
The Knapp Commission Report on Police Corruption identified two particular classes of corrupt police officer, which it called "Grass Eaters" and "Meat Eaters". This classification refers to petty corruption under peer pressure ("eating grass") and aggressive premeditated major corruption ("eating meat").
What did the Chicago police officer notice?
A Chicago police officer noticed a group of teenagers at a bus stop engaging in "gang" activity by making gang signals. The officer arrested the group of teenagers on the grounds that they were making gang signals. The teenagers were deaf and using American Sign Language.
What was the landmark case in Wong Sun v. United States?
Wong Sun v. United States was a landmark case for searches incident to arrest.
When was the Kansas City Response Time study conducted?
In 1977, the Kansas City Response Time study analyzed the time it takes police officers to respond to calls. What did the study find?
What was the Knapp Commission's report on police corruption?
In 1972, the Knapp Commission issued a report on police corruption that identified two types of dirty cops: the “meat-eaters” and the “grass-eaters.”.
Who was caught accepting payoffs from Xaviera Hollander?
Instead of playing along, Serpico went public about the corruption he witnessed. He and the Knapp Commission caught a break when Bill Phillips, a former Manhattan patrolman, was caught accepting payoffs from Xaviera Hollander, a Dutch-born madam running an Upper East Side brothel.
Why did Phillips set up pad?
Phillips starting talking immediately, giving firsthand accounts of how other cops and detectives in nearly every precinct set up monthly “pads,” or systemized payoffs, to protect gamblers, pimps and other members of organized crime.
How did Henry Winter die?
Henry Winter was found dead of an apparent suicide in his mother’s Valley Stream home. Brooklyn’s 77th Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant was like the Wild West. Cops on the beat were known to steal money from the dead, pocket confiscated cash from drug busts, and pilfer crime scenes for anything left behind by burglars.
When did Serpico retire?
Serpico retired in 1972 after he was shot during a raid on a drug dealer’s apartment. According to Serpico, the two backup officers on the raid with him purposely stayed back when Serpico busted through the door. They were later awarded medals for saving his life even though neither one even called for an ambulance.
When will Shades of Blue air on NBC?
Watch the series premiere of Shades of Blue Thursday, January 7, 10/9c on NBC. View more clips from the show at nbc.com/shades-of-blue.
Who was Michael Dowd?
Michael Dowd was often referred to as “a criminal who happened to wear a cop uniform.”. His talents for lawlessness are legend on the force. During an eight-year on-the-job crime spree, Dowd built an empire by protecting drug lords to the tune of $8,000 a week.
Early life and education
Born on February 24, 1909, in New York City, New York, Knapp was the son of Wallace Percy Knapp, a wealthy lawyer in New York. His mother was killed in a horse riding accident in Central Park when he was only three years old.
Legal career
After his graduation from law school, he started working with the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in Manhattan. He remained there until 1937, when he left to become an *istant District Attorney in Manhattan under the newly elected racket-busting District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey.
Knapp Commission
In 1970, Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed Knapp to head a five-member commission investigating corruption in the New York City Police Department later known as the Knapp Commission. The probe was sparked by revelations from two police officers, Patrolman Frank Serpico, and Sergeant David Durk.
Federal judicial service
Knapp was nominated by President Richard Nixon on June 15, 1972, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Judge Walter R. Mansfield. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 28, 1972, and received his commission on June 30, 1972. He *umed senior status on November 23, 1987.
Death
On June 14, 2004, Knapp died at the age of 95 at the Cabrini Hospice in Manhattan. He served on the bench up until his death. He was survived by his third wife, Ann Fallert Knapp, a son, Gregory Wallace Knapp, and by three children from his first wife, Elizabeth Mercer Nason; a son, Whitman E.
Further reading
MRS. MARROW WED TO WHITMAN KNAPP – New York Times article: November 4, 1956
External links
Percy Whitman Knapp at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
Overview
Investigation and public hearings
While the Knapp Commission began its investigation of corruption in the police department in June 1970, public hearings did not start until October 18, 1971. In addition to the testimony of "lamplighters" (whistleblowers) Serpico and Durk, testimony from dozens of other witnesses, including former Police Commissioner Howard R. Leary, corrupt patrolmen, and the victims of police shakedowns, was heard.
Members
In 1970, Mayor Lindsay appointed five members to serve on the Knapp Commission:
• Whitman Knapp, chair
• Arnold Bauman (later replaced by John E. Sprizzo)
• Joseph Monserrat
• Franklin A. Thomas
Recommendations
The commission issued its preliminary report on August 15, 1972, and issued its final report on December 27, 1972. In its final report, the commission found widespread corruption in the New York City Police Department, and made the following recommendations:
• commanders should be held accountable for their subordinates' actions.
• commanders should file periodic reports on key aspects that would breed corruption.
See also
• Serpico
• Mollen Commission
• Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service in Australia, held from 1994 to 1997
• Police corruption
Further reading
• Armstrong, M. (2012). They Wished They Were Honest: The Knapp Commission and New York City Police Corruption. New York: Columbia University Press ISBN 978-0231153546
• Barker, T. (1978). An Empirical Study of Police Deviance Other Than Corruption. Journal of Police Science and Administration 6(3): 264-72.
External links
• Official Frank Serpico website
• Serpico at IMDb
• Lloyd Sealy Library Special Collections, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (houses Knapp Commission records, view upon appointment)