Frank Main Catches Up

Almost a full day behind the curve, Frank found a story to write about:

• A Chicago police commander of major narcotics investigations was struggling with almost $840,000 in debt earlier this year, including more than $30,000 in taxes he owed the IRS, according to bankruptcy records.

  Joshua Wallace, 50, is one of the two finalists to become the next police chief in Des Moines, Iowa. On Wednesday, the Des Moines Register newspaper first reported on Wallace’s bankruptcy filing in February.

Frank also did some actual reporting and discovered a mini-scandal regarding certain Department rules:

• His debt raises questions because in the past, the police department routinely vetted the credit history and financial background of officers who investigate narcotics trafficking, law enforcement sources said.

  They said large debts can be a disqualifying factor because of the potential for an officer to pilfer money from police funds seized in drug cases in order to pay off debts. Police applicants who have big debts are often rejected from entering the training academy, city records show.

  “An officer might have $10,000 in student loan debt, and he discloses it, and we were fine with that,” one high-ranking former police department official said. “It’s a judgment call. But close to a million in debt? I don’t know about that.”

Our readers discovered a slightly larger issue that Frank didn't though:

• His partner from 006 is in federal prison for stealing money on traffic stops. Now you put this guy in charge of Narcotics. Smart move

Although you'd think that would be a red flag of sorts, the number of gold stars with former partners in prison is actually quite astonishing. We can name three without even trying.