Former NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues Showcased in Powerful Documentary

“A Cops and Robbers Story” Chronicles Police Veteran’s Rise from
Drug Dealer to One of the Department’s Highest-Ranking Officials

 

By Gary Glennell Toms

Corey Pegues was born and raised in Queens, New York and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1987. Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned as a medical specialist and attended training at Fort Sam Houston, located in Houston, Texas.

Upon completion of his medical training, he was assigned to a Calvary Unit in Fort Drum, New York, until the end of his enlistment in March 2001. After his honorable discharge from the Army, he enlisted in the New York State National Guard where he spent the next 14 years of his military career.

Subsequent to his discharge from the Army, Pegues entered the New York City Police Academy in January of 1992. After graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the 114th Precinct in Astoria, Queens, and served as a Patrol Officer and as a member of the Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit.

In 1998, Pegues was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was assigned to the 81st Precinct in Brooklyn, New York. While at the 81st Precinct, he served as a Patrol Supervisor and as the Precinct Training Sergeant. He was then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2002, and assigned to Transit District # 30 in Brooklyn. While there, he was assigned as a Platoon Commander. Six months later, he was transferred to the 28th Precinct in Harlem, NY.

Pegues held various positions while serving at the 28th Precinct, such as Lieutenant Platoon Commander, Special Operations Lieutenant and Operations Coordinator. On December 23, 2006, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn, where he served as an Executive Officer. His strong work ethic, knowledge of police work and leadership was recognized and he was transferred to Police Service Area #2, where he was assigned as the Commanding Officer. In May 2008, he was promoted to Deputy Inspector, and in June 30 of that year, he was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the 67th Precinct, which is one of the most challenging assignments in the New York City Police Department.

After 3 1⁄2 years of successful crime reductions and excellent community/police relationship building, in January 2012 Deputy Inspector Pegues was assigned to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. On April 1, 2013, he retired after 21 years of service.

The accomplishments of Deputy Inspector Pegues are extraordinary, but what makes them even more remarkable is the fact that prior to all of the aforementioned events, he was one of the leading drug dealers in the Queens area. “A Cops and Robbers Story”, which took four years to complete, details his improbable and incredible rise from “gangsta” to one of the highest-ranking officials in the New York City Police Department. “Young and misguided Black and brown young men should be looked at differently by society after viewing this documentary,” Pegues told From The G-Man. “I want young people to realize that they can pick themselves up by their bootstraps and make something out of their lives.”

Video source: Corey Pegues