Police officers arrested for drunken driving fare better than the average citizen, according to an investigation of seven years worth of internal discipline records, arrest reports, accident reports, license-suspension files and court documents.
A broken system works in favor of cops busted for DUI
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326446_dui06.html
How officers are disciplined varies widely from one police agency to another. Standards are forged through union negotiations and case-by-case consultations among sheriffs and chiefs. The result is a complete lack of uniformity.
Some cops get free passes when stopped for DUI
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326612_favors07.ht...
Police officers sometimes ask for special treatment under the law -- and get it.
That 'bear sticker' on the window signals, 'Hey, I'm a cop'
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326602_favorsbear0...
That little bear sticker on the window could be considered a request for special treatment during a traffic stop.
When cops let fellow cops drive drunk
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326764_toll08.html
One high-profile cop's descent into alcoholism illustrates how cops cover for other cops.
Son's last memory of father is gun he put to own head
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326736_tollhartley...
A retired Lacey cop's alcoholism had tragic consequences for himself and his family.
Follow-up stories
Instead of taking action, police hid suspicions
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/327499_duibaily14....
Seattle police and fire employees had reasons to suspect a police officer was driving drunk, but did not immediately take action, internal investigation records show.
Seattle police policy on disciplinary records ripe for challenge
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/327509_duidisclosu...
The Seattle Police Department may not be fulfilling public records law requirements, open records law experts say.
Case files
Detective William Albright: 'Professional courtesy' requests resulted in no penalty
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326442_duisidebar0...
He was one of at least 29 law officers who asked for special treatment when confronted with a DUI arrest, more than half of a sample of DUI cases the Seattle P-I closely examined.
Deputy Michael Bowe: Stopped five times before being dismissed
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326441_duibowe06.h...
A longtime corrections officer caught a lot of breaks after drinking and driving.
Trooper Casey Carson: Officer who sought favor got punishment that most wouldn't
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326440_duicarson06...
A state trooper gets the book thrown at him for drunken driving.
From the Case Files: Officers stopped for DUI
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/undueinfluence/326444_duidiaz06.h...
These additional cases were chosen to be briefly profiled because of the various aspects of the P-I's findings that they illustrate, including disparity in discipline and seeking special treatment.
Behind the story
Reporters explain the background on this investigative series on seattlepi.com's
Big Blog - http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/119569.asp
Bear stickers and other cop-outs - http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/119600.asp
One cop's story of a broken system - http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/119597.asp
