The Wednesday (12/30) New York Times tells a story of Police Officer Richard Rivera of the West New York, NJ, PD, who saw a problem within his department and decided to do something about it.� Rivera saw serious corruption within the job and the town, and called the FBI.� To those of you with some time in any job, or are familiar with the Frank Serpico story, you know that Rivera's life was not the same after that phone call.

Rivera didn't call the Feds to tell of fellow cops that fell asleep on a late tour, or ate a meal and left only the tip.� According to the Times, he saw whore houses and gambling dens being left alone to ply their trade in a town made up of families and hard working people.� Rivera na�vely went along with the request of the FBI to wear a wire and to be a "confidential informant," unaware of the the Fed's traditional history of abandoning these officers when they have used them for their own purposes.

Rivera's work as a C.I. resulted in a major shakeup of the West New York Police Department, as well as 34 indictments of both cops (including the Chief) and civilians.� The indictments resulted in 22 Guilty pleas, including the Chief.

But what is of interest to us here is what happened to Rivera after the dust settled in West New York.� The new administration of the WNY Police found reason to fire Rivera.

The Times article, however,� does not detail� the exact reasons for Rivera's termination.� It is Rivera's belief that the charges were trumped up to find a reason to get rid of him.

When Rivera went to the Feds to seek some assistance, he was treated like he was totally unknown to them.� The US Attorney's Office and the FBI refused to assist him in looking for new employment.� When he asked for just a letter to show that he was, in fact, a C.I., they turned him down cold.

As many of us know in dealing with C.I.'s, they tend to sometimes take advantage of there "status" and think that it will keep them out of trouble forever.� If this was the case with Rivera, then the Feds response was not totally unjustified.� But the life of a cop acting undercover, wearing a wire, has often, very often, resulted in false charges being placed against the officer.� Especially in small town PD's.� For doing what he thinks is right, his life is ruined.

But, as we have spoken to here at Police Review in the past regarding another cop and the US Attorney, it is not uncommon for the Feds in general, and the US Attorney's Office in particular, to dispose of the local cops after they have served their purposes to the Feds.� Their battle plan is "divide and conquer" and leave the ruins for someone else to clean up, as long as it results in the numbers, in the form of indictments and guilty verdicts or pleas, on the US Attorney's score sheet.

Prosay recommends that anyone approached by the Feds to participate in any undercover work or� cooperate in any investigation (even if it's NOT about other police officers) to tread slowly and softly before agreeing to becoming their pawn.