DeepSummary
The episode begins with Detective Wayne Jenkins pulling over a man named Stevenson, who is suspected of being a drug dealer. Jenkins lies to Stevenson that he is a federal agent and pressures him into revealing information about a large stash of drugs and money at his house. Jenkins then conspires with his childhood friend Donnie Stepp, who is a drug dealer, to seize Stevenson's drugs and money and split the profits.
The episode provides background on how a culture of aggressive policing and lack of accountability in the Baltimore Police Department enabled officers like Jenkins to engage in corruption. It details Jenkins' rise through the ranks as he made numerous high-profile drug busts, despite allegations from civilians and defense attorneys of him planting evidence and conducting illegal searches.
As Jenkins gains more power and autonomy in an elite plainclothes unit, he becomes increasingly brazen in his criminal activities, stealing money and drugs from suspects and selling the drugs through Stepp. The episode suggests that Jenkins' actions were indicative of systemic problems within the department that allowed corrupt officers to flourish.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Aggressive policing tactics and lack of accountability enabled corruption within the Baltimore Police Department.
- Detective Wayne Jenkins abused his power to illegally seize money and drugs from suspects for personal profit.
- Jenkins conspired with his childhood friend, a drug dealer, to resell the seized drugs on the street.
- Jenkins' actions were facilitated by a culture that praised high arrest numbers and turned a blind eye to misconduct.
- The systemic issues within the Baltimore PD allowed corrupt officers like Jenkins to flourish unchecked.
- Civilians, especially minorities, were vulnerable to Jenkins' illegal tactics due to lack of recourse against police misconduct.
- Defense attorneys began noticing a pattern of dubious arrests and planted evidence linked to Jenkins and his team.
- Jenkins' rapid rise through the ranks and elite unit assignment gave him more autonomy to engage in criminal behavior.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “There are more ways than ever to listen to history daily ad free. Listen with wondery plus in the Wondery app, or you can get all of history Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohistory.com.“ by Lindsey Graham
- “There has to be a way to learn it, to hone those instincts.“ by Unnamed officer
- “Cops in Baltimore can do whatever they want. People like him are completely at their mercy.“ by Umar Burley
- “Jenkins pounds the steering wheel in excitement. He looks over at Stepp and tells him they're going to make so much money together.“ by Narrator
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Episode Information
History Daily
Airship | Noiser | Wondery
1/27/24
On today's Saturday Matinee, we delve into the shocking story of Baltimore's infamous police unit, the Gun Trace Task Force, and hear just the beginning of the deep-rooted corruption that took place within the Maryland police department.
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