Police Corruption

The term “police corruption” brings shame and public skepticism about our front line of defense against the criminal element. While the corrupt may be only a small number of officers, the idea or actions of the few effect the entire institution of law enforcement throughout the country.

Police corruption is not a new concept. We start to see corruption from the modern police force. Corruption is not something that used to happen. Today throughout the United States police departments have been hit with wide spread corruption. Recently, cities like New York and Los Angeles have been rocked by scandals. The case of eight New York police officers charged with gun trafficking as well as other stolen goods back in 2011, and in Los Angeles a number of officers have been tied to cover ups, shootings, robberies, and drug dealing. Over the past few decades, great strides have been made in the law enforcement profession. Many police agencies have avoided hiring candidates who have low ethical standards and have identified those onboard employees early in their careers who might compromise the department’s integrity. Researchers have discovered new methods of testing candidates for their psychological propensity to act ethically. (FBI L.E.B. May 2011 pg.11)

Reviewing the FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin, I have been looking over many different aspects of Police corruption as well as ethics in the workplace. The standards in which officers of the law are held to these days are much higher than in previous decades. Law enforcement agencies strive to hire, train, and recruit only those candidates who show strong moral values before they enter the academy. Yet even departments’ best efforts will not prevent instances of police misconduct from gaining attention. Such incidents undermine public trust, jeopardize important investigations, and expose agencies to considerable liability. (FBI L.E.B. Oct 2011 pg. 18) The authors of these articles in the LEB share many of the same...