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They Wished They Were Honest: The Knapp Commission and New York City Police Corruption
In fifty years of prosecuting and defending criminal cases in New York City and elsewhere,Michael F. Armstrong has often dealt with cops. For a single two-year span, as chief counsel to the Knapp Commission, he was charged with investigating them. Based on Armstrong's vivid recollections of this watershed moment in law enforcement accountability―prompted by the New York Times 's report on whistleblower cop Frank Serpico― They Wished They Were Honest recreates the dramatic struggles and significance of the Commission and explores the factors that led to its success and the restoration of the NYPD's public image.
Serpico's charges against the NYPD encouraged Mayor John Lindsay to appoint prominent attorney Whitman Knapp to chair a Citizen's Commission on police graft. Overcoming a number of organizational, budgetary, and political hurdles, Chief Counsel Armstrong cobbled together an investigative group of a half-dozen lawyers and a dozen agents. Just when funding was about to run out, the "blue wall of silence" collapsed. A flamboyant "Madame," a corrupt lawyer, and a weasely informant led to a "super thief" cop, who was trapped and "turned" by the Commission. This led to sensational and revelatory hearings, which publicly refuted the notion that departmental corruption was limited to only a "few rotten apples."
In the course of his narrative, Armstrong illuminates police investigative strategy; governmental and departmental political maneuvering; ethical and philosophical issues in law enforcement; the efficacy (or lack thereof) of the police's anticorruption efforts; the effectiveness of the training of police officers; the psychological and emotional pressures that lead to corruption; and the effects of police criminality on individuals and society. He concludes with the effects, in today's world, of Knapp and succeeding investigations into police corruption and the value of permanent outside monitoring bodies, such as the special prosecutor's office, formed in response to the Commission's recommendation, as well as the current monitoring commission, of which Armstrong is chairman.
Serpico's charges against the NYPD encouraged Mayor John Lindsay to appoint prominent attorney Whitman Knapp to chair a Citizen's Commission on police graft. Overcoming a number of organizational, budgetary, and political hurdles, Chief Counsel Armstrong cobbled together an investigative group of a half-dozen lawyers and a dozen agents. Just when funding was about to run out, the "blue wall of silence" collapsed. A flamboyant "Madame," a corrupt lawyer, and a weasely informant led to a "super thief" cop, who was trapped and "turned" by the Commission. This led to sensational and revelatory hearings, which publicly refuted the notion that departmental corruption was limited to only a "few rotten apples."
In the course of his narrative, Armstrong illuminates police investigative strategy; governmental and departmental political maneuvering; ethical and philosophical issues in law enforcement; the efficacy (or lack thereof) of the police's anticorruption efforts; the effectiveness of the training of police officers; the psychological and emotional pressures that lead to corruption; and the effects of police criminality on individuals and society. He concludes with the effects, in today's world, of Knapp and succeeding investigations into police corruption and the value of permanent outside monitoring bodies, such as the special prosecutor's office, formed in response to the Commission's recommendation, as well as the current monitoring commission, of which Armstrong is chairman.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2020
**1/2: while I was happy to read a direct, behind-the-scenes account of the Knapp Commission, other books handled the era better, including Serpico and (especially) Prince Of The City. This book falls all over itself with poorly written tangents, asides, boosts and braggadocio that clutter up what’s actually interesting: the investigations! I did appreciate lots of transcripts of the wire tapings and the high level of spy craft the commission had to use to catch corrupt cops. And I was surprised that the commission was continuously undermined by politicians — they come off as even more corrupt than the NYPD. I still think Prince Of The City is the gold standard account of this era.
One note: the author repeatedly implies that the cops behind the infamous French Connection bust were dirty yet it appears the commission never made an attempt at them: why? I’d like to know more about that entire debacle.
One note: the author repeatedly implies that the cops behind the infamous French Connection bust were dirty yet it appears the commission never made an attempt at them: why? I’d like to know more about that entire debacle.
October 27, 2018
I read this to prepare to write a paper related to ethics and public relations for a class assignment, and I had started out thinking I would read highlights to get a gist, but I couldn't put it down and read the whole thing in two days. It was fantastic to read a true story about the efforts of the Knapp Commission to clean up the crime in the NYC Police Department in the very difficult era of 1971 NYC.
September 2, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised with how accessible this book was. It wasn't nearly as dry as I thought it would be, though the author's sense of humor could be better developed. Armstrong does a good job of fleshing out the other participants And goes out of his way not to speculate about what they might have been thinking. It was very much "these are the facts as I recall them" rather than trying to sensationalize the events.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews