Journalism is hard to find in major American media outlets. But every once in a while, beneath the shock stories and celebrity nonsense, an article that really matters comes out and makes readers say “Oh shit.”

This time, the “Oh shit” moment happened when the Village Voice began printing their investigative series, “The NYPD Tapes: Inside Bed-Stuy’s 81st Precinct” and proved everything we’ve ever learned about cops is true.
The end-of-the-month quotas, the manipulation of crime statistics to make the city seem safer, the intimidation of crime victims … it’s all been confirmed thanks to the revealing undercover tapes that Police Officer Adrian Schoolcraft produced while working at the 81st Precinct (which patrols Broadway below Myrtle Avenue and most of Bed-Stuy).

For speaking out against the NYPD, Schoolcraft was handcuffed and put in a mental ward. The long-term consequences for the whistleblower remain unknown, but depending on how things turn out, his name may soon be up there with Nellie Bly, among history’s most influential muckrackers.

I never thought I’d actually mean this, but: Thank you, officer.