Kiko Pulido sentenced today in federal court, after pleading guilty last fall to being the ringleader of a coke-distribution and protection ring.

Commissioner Ed Davis's statement:

Today's sentencing of Roberto Pulido closes a sad chapter for the Boston Police Department. Our department is comprised of officers who find Pulido's actions despicable and the punishment fitting. The resilience of our agency is evident in the great work being done officers every day resulting in across the board reductions in crime statistics. The Boston Police pledge to work closely with the community to earn their trust and repair the damage done by this incident.

Police have said investigations continue.

I live on a thoroughfare, and recently I'm often woken up by a noise that made me think the apartment is getting attacked by a sea monster.

Turns out Boston Police have been equipping their cruisers with "The Rumbler", which is an amplifier and subwoofer designed purposefully to make everything within a few hundred feet shake; if you're inside, it sounds like a very deep and disturbing "whoop". Despite being for use at "clearing busy intersections", BPD seems to be happily employing it on deserted roads in the middle of the night.

Globe: Retraining, maybe discipline for 911 worker who didn't dispatch anybody to a Hyde Park beating immediately despite several calls from neighbors:

The call taker, who was not identified, knew the man was bleeding and needed help, but categorized the call as lower priority because the assailant was gone, Driscoll said.

Earlier:
Which Washington Street?

When police ordered Alan Nystedt of Haverhill to fold up his folding chair and remove himself and his shopping cart from in front of St. Paul's Cathedral on Tremont Street yesterday, he refused. And because he didn't have a permit to "occupy a city sidewalk," they arrested him.

Police say Nystedt had set up shop in front of the church to protest something involving the church (the BPDNews report does not specify what; anybody remember seeing him?).

On arrival, officers observed a white male seated in a wooden director's chair sitting next to a cart filled with religious paraphernalia. The suspect was handing out the paraphernalia while occupying the public sidewalk. Moreover, the suspect was displaying a sign with written statements criticizing and protesting the church. ...

Police say they asked him to move twice - and asked if he had a permit. When he refused to move and said he had no permit, he was taken in, police say.

There are at least two things wrong with this alleged cruiser - actually just a prop for a movie being filmed in Southie. See if you can spot them. If not, Greg MacKay, who took the photo, provides the answers. Actually, one of the errors might be a bit hard to see; MacKay provides a larger version for you to examine.

Meanwhile, M@tty1378 spies a New Jersey cruiser in front of the Legal Seafood at the Burlington Mall.

Both the officer and the other driver taken away after the crash at Morton and Washington streets Monday evening.

A friend of mine who was coming to my house to meet me to go out was handcuffed for over a half hour and searched by an undercover Boston Police officer the other night. His crime: getting off the bus one stop after he got on when he realized that his wallet wasn't in his pocket.

"High Times" Magazine Publisher Rick Cusick and
Keith Stroup Founder of the National
Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) were arrested
for allegedly sharing a marijuana
cigarette on Boston Common in September 2007.

The two have refused the offer to dismiss the case with an apology.

The two and their defense team plan to challenge
the constitutionality of marijuana prohibition.

Their next court date is May 15th, 10AM, 24 New Chardon St., Boston. Press conference to follow.

Michele McPhee takes a look at corruption cases in the BPD since 2004, under three police commissioners, concludes there's more to come, based on current steroid investigation. She also describes what happened when current Commissioner Ed Davis showed up in the room where a Boston cop was being interrogated after his arrest on corruption charges:

For a minute or so, Davis glared at the disgraced cop in his BPD blues. Then he tore the badge off Ortiz's chest, snapping, "You are no longer a Boston police officer. You don't deserve to wear this."

So the department has postponed its Safe Homes program again.

Request for the Globe: You mention in the story you interviewed the local leader of the New Black Panther Party twice. Can we hope that this means you'll be doing a story on the party for those of us who didn't even know it existed until we read your story and then went online to learn that part of the party's platform is to organize armed "Black People's Militias" and to stop blacks from "snitching" and cooperating with police? See Point 7 in the party's 10-point platform.