Sticky fingers of the law

It seems that one officer is going to pay more than a few dollars for his execution of a warrent in 2003. He did though add his name to the never-ending list of police who manage to think that they are above the law.

In February 2003, officers of the Monmouth NJ Prosecutor's Office and the Asbury Park Police Department executed an arrest warrent on a fugitive in an Asbury Park apartment. They raided the home where the fugitive's mother lived and while it wasn't reported if they found the fugitive there, the mother reported that a diamond watch valued at over $2,500 was now missing.

On Monday, U S District Chief Judge Garrett E Brown sentenced former Asbury Park officer Phillip Montgomery, 45, of Ocean Township, to two years in jail and as well as pay a $6,000 fine. It seems that Montgomery had been the one who helped the missing watch leave the raided apartment.

While it isn't any mother's wish I would think to have a child a fugitive, I don't think many of us would expect a police officer to steal valuables from us while they are executing a warrent. At least Montgomery will have a bit of time to think about how dumb he had to be to think that no one would notice the watch was missing.