- Retired investigator Mike Albrecht told Insider that the police need to be held more accountable.
- Albrecht is a veteran of the Des Plaines police department, where he helped to arrest John Wayne Gacy.
- According to Albrecht, the police need to work harder to prevent incidents such as the death of George Floyd.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
Retired investigator Mike Albrecht told Insider that police departments across the country need to take more responsibility.
Albrecht was speaking specifically about high-profile incidents, such as the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Albrecht, who appeared in Peacock’s upcoming police documentary, “John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise”, is a veteran of the Des Plaines police department and helped capture the prolific serial killer Gacy in 1978.
When asked about the national outcry against law enforcement after protests and requests for reform of the Black Lives Matter, Albrecht said that police officers need to be held responsible for their actions.
“The police department will be no different than any other profession in the world and in the country,” he told Insider. “You are going to have some very good officers. You are going to have some who are not so good, just average, and then you are going to have some who are not very good.”
Albrecht denounced the actions of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged with third-degree murder in connection with Floyd’s death. The trial is scheduled to begin shortly.
“He knew exactly what he was doing and, to say the least, he didn’t give a damn,” said Albrecht.
He added that in his 45 years as a police officer, he never used excessive force against a suspect, especially when it came to important cases like Gacy’s.
“The worst thing that could happen, as with John Gacy, if we had done something that violated his rights or something like that, it would put the case at risk, you know,” Albrecht told Insider. “And what kind of disservice is that?”
John Wayne Gacy was convicted of the murder of 33 people.
Bureau of Prisons / Getty Images
“You are going to have someone like that, who killed 33 people, made fun of for technicalities, or some reason like, you didn’t like him, or used violence against him, or any process that was not within your rights,” he continued. “He’s going to laugh at you and he’s going to come – that criminal is going to come.”
Albrecht said that the police need to rebuild the trust of the communities they serve and that there must be a better way to hold police officers individually accountable.
“Law enforcement has to regain the trust of the community. It will not be easy. It will take time, ”he said. “And you have to start with the cops themselves.”
According to Albrecht, department heads need to be on the lookout for police officers who are not “doing things right”, including using excessive force against civilians, and ensuring that their problems are dealt with – whether through counseling or being removed. of work.
“You cannot put people who are endangering public security – you must protect public security,” he said.
“John Wayne Gacy: The Devil in Disguise” debuts on March 25 on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. You can watch the trailer below.