Philadelphia Police arrested one of their own Friday on charges of theft and receiving stolen property, both misdemeanors, after the officer was accused of stealing $825 from a bar’s safe.
Officer Kenneth Crockett, 56, who is a 26-year veteran of the force, allegedly stole hundreds of dollars from the safe at Pat’s Café during a burglary investigation, police say.
"Honor, service, integrity -- those are the values on which we stand, but those can't just be words, we have to live them every single day," Comm. Ramsey said after announcing the arrest.
Crockett, along with two other officers, responded to a report of a burglary at an auto body shop on the 4600-block of Castor Avenue at about 4 a.m. Tuesday.
When the three arrived at the auto shop, they saw there was no burglary there and then noticed that a basement grate at nearby Pat’s Café was wide open.
The officers went inside Pat’s Café to investigate and while trying to contact the bar’s alarm company, Crockett appeared to help himself to the bar’s unlocked safe while the other officers weren’t looking, Commissioner Charles Ramsey said after watching the bar’s surveillance video.
"He knew what he was doing," Comm. Ramsey said of Crockett's alleged act.
The two officers who were investigating the property while Crockett allegedly raided the safe were not aware of Crockett’s actions and have been cleared of any wrong-doing, police say.
Crockett was involuntarily committed to a mental institution early Friday by family after finding out he was going to be charged, District Attorney Seth Williams said in a press conference.
Crockett’s family is afraid he may harm himself, Williams said.
