Preserving corruption among police takes an incalculable toll on a city. Turns out, it can also cost you some cold, hard cash.
Instead of being commended for blowing the whistle on gross misconduct within the Baltimore Police Department, Det. Joseph Crystal claims he was harassed and intimidated by his fellow officers as well as his superiors, and the department didn’t protect him.
Crystal, now a police officer in Florida, brought a federal lawsuit against the BPD seeking $2.5 million in damages more than a year ago. Now, despite claiming to a “high degree of confidence” in their ability to prevail in court, the city’s lawyers have recommended settling for $42,000.
According to the Baltimore Sun, once the spending panel approves the payment, the parties will issue a joint public statement.
