Look, just because a constable pockets a key of blow here or shakes down a neighborhood car theft ring there, that don’t mean they’re crooked. Hey, you want the money to go to the gangs? No you don’t. You want it to end up in the hands of criminals or do you want it to go to building decks on officers’ houses?

Look, if cops gotta start answering questions about how a guy making $34,000 a year in uniform is driving a new Escalade every year, then it’s a slippery slope. Next thing you know, they’re gonna be tappin’ your phone.

In late 2006, a New York City detective was suspected of being involved with illegal drugs, and an Internal Affairs Bureau sergeant was bluntly advising him on how to avoid investigators, according to new court filings in a continuing federal probe of police corruption.

Their profanity-laced conversation was quoted in an indictment issued on Wednesday by a grand jury in Brooklyn.

The new charges in the case accused the sergeant, Sgt. William Valerio, of false statements, bank fraud and conspiracy. Prosecutors said he was the seventh person — and third police officer — indicted in the investigation since 2006.

The bank fraud charges stemmed from accusation that Sergeant Valerio was involved with Detective Luis M. Batista in producing a false termite inspection certificate required for a mortgage for a $412,000 house sale in Elmont, Long Island. The indictment also accused Mr. Batista of altering a receipt for the inspection, raising the cost to $1,000 from $100.

The wiretap excerpts, with obscenities deleted, attributed to Sergeant Valerio the comments cautioning Detective Batista. “Be very careful when you’re coming and going, because the [expletive] will follow you,” Sergeant Valerio was quoted as saying. “Look over your [expletive] shoulder 100 million times.”

Which is why I can’t believe there are some cops out there who just don’t get it. Can you believe that some rat cops will write a brother officer a ticket? Just for breaking the law? Even when they knew they were writing a cop a ticket?!

I didn’t either until I went to copswritingcops.com and read all the sad, sad stories of officers who were just driving along minding their own business until some crusader (usually a broad, go figure) pulls em over and starts writing.

Jeez. Do you wanna live in a country where an officer of the law has to waste his time obeying it?