The evidence for optimism is contained in statistics the department has marshaled to indicate it is aggressively confronting police wrongdoing.

"Perjury is perhaps the most widespread form of police wrongdoing facing today's criminal justice system," the draft report says.

Systemic corruption was uncovered in the department by the Knapp Commission 20 years ago, leading to departmental changes to safeguard against police wrongdoing.

"There have been so many incidents of police wrongdoing that we don't know what or who to believe any more."

The report attributes police wrongdoing in part to the mediocrity that it contends was allowed to flourish.

Of course, parking problems are petty compared with recent allegations of police wrongdoing: the corruption revelations and the rampage through Washington.

The agency would audit the Police Department's system of investigating and preventing corruption, as well as help it devise a strategy for eliminating police wrongdoing.

The agency investigates allegations of police wrongdoing.

But he added, "If you can convince them of police wrongdoing, they act with fairness and focus."

Internal Affairs commanders said the 48th Precinct was the first major example of their willingness to use aggressive investigative techniques to root out police wrongdoing.