Puerto Rico's Broken Police Department: Should The DOJ Investigate?

By Geraldo Rivera

Like the LAPD after Rodney King or the Pittsburgh PD following alleged civil rights abuses in the 80's and 90's, PR's police force is now under federal investigation. Though police powers are reserved to the several states, the federal government has the power to investigate constitutional violations like excessive, unlawful searches and seizures, and excessive force (1st and 4th amendments).

I have no problem with the investigation. Like all of Puerto Rico's institutions, partisan politics plays far too big a role with the PRPD, with top brass changing with the party in power. And I hope this investigation isn't the democrats sticking it to the current Republican governor. Also, the crime rate, especially unsolved murders on my beloved island is desperately out-of-control. There were 983 murders there in 2010. NY with twice the population had 536. This February the governor mobilized 1,000 National Guardsmen. Drug abuse, car-jacking and gangs are rampant.