WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
JOINING US IS FORMER DETECTIVE
JOE CRYSTAL.
JOE'S STORY WAS REVEALED THE
WINNER OF 2014 WHEN HE CLAIMED
ALLEGATIONS OF RETRIBUTION
FROM
WHISTLE BOWING.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU LEFT THE
DEPARTMENT A LITTLE LESS THAN A
YEAR AGO.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE BALTIMORE
POLICE DEPARTMENT?
JOE: FIRST OF ALL, I WAS MORE
FORCED OUT BECAUSE THE OFFICIAL
TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT ME THERE
AND SAID I WOULD HAVE A
FRUITFULL CAREER AND I WAS
MOVED AROUND AND THEY WERE
TRYING TO INVESTIGATE ME
DESPITE TELLING YOU GUYS WE'RE
GOING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM.
I RESIGNED NOT BECAUSE I WANTED
TO BUT BECAUSE I WAS FORCED
OUT.
AND I WILL SAY
THERE IS
PENDING LITIGATION THAT YOU
HAVE OR ARE SUING THE
PARTIES.
WHAT IS IT WITH
WHISTLE-BLOWING.
WHY IS THERE SO FEW OF YOU THAT
STEP FORWARD AND BLOW THE
WHISTLE ON WHAT YOU PERCEIVE TO
BE -- AN OFFICER DOES THE WRONG
THING AND COMMITS MISCONDUCT,
WHY ARE THERE SO FEW?
BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED.
THEY HEAR STORIES LIKE WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME AND THEY DON'T
WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO THEM.
THEY HAVE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
AND ARE SCARED OF LOSING THEIR
JOBS.
EVEN LISA ROBINSON WHEN SHE
SPOKE TO THEM SAID -- THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
AND WE HAVE TO REALIZE WE ARE
POLICE AND WE HAVE TO HOLD
OURSELVES TO THAT HIGHER
STANDARD AND PEOPLE AT THE END
OF THE DAY DON'T LIKE FEEDING
INTO THE STEREOTYPES.
NOBODY LIKES TO HEAR ANOTHER
OFFICER BEATING UP OPINION IS.
PEOPLE FEEL YOU ARE NOT SIDING
WITH THE DEPARTMENT, YOU ARE
SIDING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
JUST TO GO OVER WHAT WE
REPORTED AT THE TIME WAS ONCE
YOU WERE IDENTIFIED AS A
WITNESS IN THE CASE AGAINST TWO
POLICE OFFICERS
INVOLVING THE
ARREST OF A DRUG SUSPECT THERE
WAS TAUNTING AND CAME OUT AND
FOUND A DEAD RAT ON YOUR
WINDSHIELD AND PERCEIVED THAT
OBVIOUSLY AS RETRIBUTION
BECAUSE OF YOUR ROLE IN
TESTIFYING AGAINST THE
OFFICERS.
WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER?
JOE: I THINK THE NUMBER ONE
THING IS LEADERSHIP.
IF YOU HAVE LEADERSHIP THAT
WILL SUPPORT THAT AND WON'T
STAND FOR THAT AND WANTS PEOPLE
TO COME FORWARD AND DISCUSS
CORRUPTION, YOU WILL SEE
OFFICERS DO THAT BECAUSE THEY
WILL FEEL PROTECTED.
I DON'T THINK YOU COME FORWARD
AND DON'T EXPECT SOME LITTLE
BIT OF SOMETHING.
I NEVER THOUGHT, THOUGH, IT
WOULD GET TO THE POINT IT DID.
AND YOU NEED PEOPLE AT THE TOP
THAT STAND FOR THE RIGHT THINGS
AND DOESN'T COVER THINGS UP.
IF YOU HAVE THAT AT THE TOP, IT
WILL TRICKLE DOWN AND PEOPLE
WILL LOOK AT IT AS AN EXAMPLE
OF HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
YOU WORKED UNDER THE FRED
BEAL FOLDAL ADMINISTRATION AND
WORKED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF
THE COMMISSIONER OF
COMMISSIONER ANTHONY BATTS AND
THERE'S MUCH BEING SAID ABOUT
THAT AS WE SPEAK AND YOU TALKED
ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE.
HOW IS IT FOR YOU PERSONALLY
GOING FORWARD NOW?
HOW MUCH OF WHAT HAPPENED TO
YOU HERE IN BALTIMORE CARRIES
WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO?
IN OTHER WORDS, DO YOU HAVE THE
REPUTATION AS THE RAT?
THE GUY THAT RATTED SOMEONE
ELSE?
JOE: WELL, WHERE I WORK NOW
PEOPLE DON'T SAY IT BUT I WAS
THE GUY THAT TESTIFIED AGAINST
COPS AND FORCED OUT OF HIS
DEPARTMENT AS A RESULT OF IT.
SO IT DEFINITELY FOLLOWS ME.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I
BECAME A COP AND HAD ALL THESE
VISIONS OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO
AND WHAT I WOULD BE KNOWN FOR
AND NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS
THOUGHT I WOULD BE SITTING HERE
TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT
STUFF.
MICHAEL WOOD, A FORMER
BALTIMORE POLICE SERGEANT HAS
BEEN PRETTY PUBLIC OVER THE
PAST FEW WEEKS.
WE HAVE HAD HIM ON OUR AIR
TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE
THINGS HE HAS WITNESSED AS A
POLICE OFFICER.
IT YOUR INTENT TO BE A PUBLIC
FACE OF THIS STORY?
THERE AREN'T MANY OUT THERE.
JOE: I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY
ABOUT A PUBLIC FACE.
I HAVE NO ISSUE TALKING ABOUT
IT.
I TALK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD
ISSUES AND I NEVER WANTED TO
SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME HAPPEN
TO ANYBODY ELSE.
IT WAS BY FAR THE HARDEST THING
I'VE EVER GONE THROUGH IN MY
LIFE AND TO THIS DAY I GET
UPSET ABOUT IT SOMETIMES.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THEY
HAVE SUPPORT WHERE I DIDN'T
NECESSARILY HAVE THE SUPPORT.
THAT'S WHY I BECAME A COP IN
THE FIRST PLACE, MS. MILLER IS
I WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND YOU WANT TO REMAIN A
POLICE OFFICER?
JOE: TO BE HONEST, MA'AM, I
WOULD LOVE TO BE STILL A POLICE
OFFICER IN THE CITY OF
BALTIMORE.
I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE AND
AFFECTING PEOPLE IN A POSITIVE
WAY.
MY HEART WILL ALWAYS BE IN THIS
CITY BUT THE COMMISSIONER AND
UPPER COMMAND HAVE DIFFERENT
IDEAS.
AND YOU ARE OUT OF STATE
NOW?
YES.