Former Cop Convicted of Stealing from Pat’s Cafe

A former Philadelphia police officer has been convicted of stealing more than $800 from Pat’s Cafe in the Northeast.

Kenneth Crockett, a 25-year veteran of the force, was one of three officers who entered the tavern after-hours in July 2010 while investigating a burglar alarm at a nearby auto shop. Crockett is seen on the bar’s surveillance footage going into the safe and removing wads of money, while two other officers had their backs turned.

Crockett took $825, prosecutors said. A day later, he was arrested and charged with theft. The news surprised many in the department because Pat’s is where Officer Gary Skerski was gunned down in May 2006. The bar has kept a memorial for Skerski since the murder.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12.