The Price of Immunity
Three Seattle officers face indictment for allegedly accepting regular bribes from women in the underworld to guarantee protection from arrest.
Three policemen were arrested on indictments returned by the King County grand jury, charging them with accepting bribes from women of the underworld. It is charged that the policemen took money at stated intervals from women on their beats, guaranteeing immunity from arrest in return. The men were released under $1,000 bonds. These are the first indictments returned by the grand jury as a result of its investigation into the white slave trade in Seattle.
“It is charged that the policemen took money at stated intervals from women on their beats, guaranteeing immunity from arrest in return.”
Police corruption and the exploitation of vulnerable populations were major civic issues in early 1900s Seattle. This story reflects the era's struggle with vice and the integrity of law enforcement, themes that continue to shape public discourse on police accountability.
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