http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/your-views-b9941179z1-213047191.htmlThis is regarding the article, "Ex-officer gets 26-month term for strip searches" (June 23).
Many may be elated, saying the officer was a dirty, crooked cop and got what he deserved. However, I just can't put Michael Vagnini in the same category of police officers who never took their oaths seriously. These officers had stolen, sold drugs or committed sexual assaults for their sexual gratification and never really cared about getting the bad guys off the streets. I'm aware of both types of these officers from my 30 years in law enforcement.
Do some officers push the envelope in their attempts to obtain evidence, make arrests and ultimately clear offenses? Yes, some do. Unlike the officer who purely commits a criminal act for his personal benefit, there are officers who believe their improper actions are just borderline violations or, in Vagnini's case, illegal conduct that is really for the best interest of the community at large. These officers also trust that their aggressive activity is truly sanctioned by upper management because of no negative feedback.
I believe that Vagnini was in fact one of the majority of the dedicated officers, the 99.9% who unselfishly work the holidays, go to court on their off days and continued to do what they swore to do, protect and serve.
Evidence of Vagnini's dedication and work ethic would have been his assignment to the district's gang unit. There were two prior complaints in addition to widespread rumors throughout the department about his conduct, yet he remained on the gang unit. I can't help but wonder what his personnel evaluations were reflecting during this period.
Vagnini did let the public down; however, it's also obvious that the Milwaukee Police Department let Vagnini down.
Ted Engelbart
Hustisford
What this police officer was convicted of:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/ex-milwaukee-officer-gets-26-months-in-prison-for-strip-cavity-searches-b9938948z1-212486141.html"A former Milwaukee police officer who performed illegal strip and body cavity searches on dozens of drug suspects was sentenced Friday to 26 months in prison and an additional 34 months of extended supervision.
Michael Vagnini, 34, pleaded no contest in April to four felonies and four misdemeanors stemming from his practice but avoided conviction for sexual assault charges, which were dismissed.
Prosecutors and the judge said Vagnini's actions shocked the conscience of the community, but his own lawyer said the whole system was to blame for encouraging and rewarding Vagnini's aggressive tactics, which he said were no secret within the department and the court system."
"Assigned to District 5, Vagnini regularly pulled over drivers on a pretense of not wearing a seatbelt or of having darkly tinted windows and searched them without a legal reason, according to prosecutors.
Vagnini conducted searches of men's anal and scrotal areas, often inserting his fingers into their rectums, according to the criminal complaint. Vagnini acknowledged performing one of the searches, and at least one suspect said Vagnini planted drugs on him."
"The searches occurred on the street and in district stations over a period of two years."
