Despite evidence of intoxication, many New York officers returned to work after short suspensions
Police officers sometimes get a bad rap when they don’t deserve it. On the other hand, sometimes they get away with crimes as they dole out their own form of justice for one another. According to a new report, there have been at least 17 instances of police avoiding charges despite suspicion of driving drunk since 2013. The cases were allegedly handled as internal disciplinary matters.
These reports come from a joint investigation between the New York Times and New York Focus, a nonprofit news organization. The pair obtained over 10,000 once-secret disciplinary records and started combing through them. Some of the cases they found could make your blood boil.
Patterns Of Protection
The records, previously shielded from the public until the repeal of New York’s secrecy law in 2023, show officers colliding with guardrails, striking parked cars, and even crashing official vehicles. Some showed up to work drunk, including at a fire scene and a crime investigation. Despite clear signs of impairment, sobriety tests were frequently skipped, and only one officer pleaded guilty to a lesser “driving while ability impaired” traffic violation.
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For example, in one case, off-duty State Police investigator Ronald W. Wilsom reportedly slammed into a Jeep with his BMW outside of Buffalo. Witnesses noted his slurred speech, unsteady gait, and the strong odor of alcohol. Orchard Park officer Andrew Kowalski recorded those comments but didn’t administer a sobriety test. Instead, another State Police sergeant gave Wilson and his girlfriend a ride home.
NEW: Across New York State, police officers have driven drunk. And sometimes, they avoided criminal punishment. pic.twitter.com/qysSUilJt5
A few days later, Wilson admitted that he’d been driving despite consuming six cocktails and a shot. He was suspended without pay for 35 days and received a ticket for following too closely. He’s still employed by the NY State Police. Ironically, Kowalski has received an award for DUI enforcement. This is far from the only similar example.
Lenient Consequences
In another, a sergeant with the Watkins Glenn Village PD, Ethan Mosher, was “observed in public while intoxicated.” Later on that same day, his personal vehicle crashed into another car and fled the scene. Mosher denied that he was driving but did accept a suspension without pay over the incident. He was promoted three years later and is now the head of the department. He was never charged with anything associated with the crash.
The investigation found officers who admitted to drinking nine or more alcoholic beverages before reporting to duty, chiefs crashing into guardrails after late-night galas, and deputies involved in ATV accidents where body cameras were “improperly muted” during response. Most faced only short suspensions, reprimands, or mandatory alcohol checks before shifts.
These files show how some departments have treated drunk driving as an H.R. issue, not a crime. pic.twitter.com/SotNqhfhZf
Two Standards Of Justice
All of this brings up an uncomfortable truth. While many police officers are working hard to abide by the law, even when it applies to other officers, those who bend the law for their fellow LEOs put a black mark on the entire profession. Would officers ever sidestep DUI or DWI charges and instead drive a couple home when they felt a driver might be impaired? Certainly not.
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Ordinary citizens risk jail time, license revocation, steep fines, and potentially life-altering consequences for charges like these. On the flip side, these officers who are sworn to “protect and serve” enjoyed a totally different type of justice. 
Some officers smelled of alcohol, according to their colleagues. Others admitted during confidential internal interviews to drinking and driving. They were often suspended from the job but not arrested. pic.twitter.com/s1MxkHulI5
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