Residents distrust police and their efforts in Harvey, IL

Experts say it's not unusual for impoverished places to have more crime and tougher cases to solve. But the Tribune found that those two factors alone don't explain what has happened in Harvey, where the competence and integrity of the department frequently come under fire.

It's a suburb that commissioned an audit that ripped its Police Department's detective work, and then promoted the head of the detective bureau.

It's a community where officers can keep their guns and badges despite questionable conduct highlighted in scandal after scandal.