Police corruption is a problem that has and will continue to affect us all, whether we are civilian or law enforcement officers. An examination of any newspapers or police-related publications on any given day will have an article about an officer that got busted committing some kind of illegal act. Since its beginnings, many aspects of it have changed, however, a lot of it remains and it seems to just keep growing. Even though being a policeman is one of the most commendable and honorable professions in society, there have been certain instances that demonstrate misconduct and corruption in terms of unethical violence, illegal drug abuse, bribery and unjustified arrests.…
Corruption establishes largely because of a police culture that exalts loyalty over integrity. Armao & Cornfeld (1994) suggest that honest officers are silenced by their fear of ``ratting'' on another cop no matter how grave the crime. Corruption is not uncommon for those officers who remain undercover; in fact, it is an easier gateway to fall custom to the "bad apples". Corruption as defined by Roebuck and Barker (1974) as any form of ‘deviant, dishonest, improper, unethical or criminal behavior by a police officer. Police departments take pride in their progressions or achievements, therefore in response to corruption, they avoid uncovering it. Grant (2002) goes on to maintain the fact that not only do the en-suing scandals embarrass the…
Police officer asking for sexual favors while on duty is a misuse of power and displays corruption and a bad representation of ethics for the police department. English heritage played in an integral part in modern American policing. Corruption has been a problem in most police departments everywhere. The problem has been corrected within most departments but is still a major problem. Brutality and misconduct have also been a obstruction to police as well. There is hope as police departments have come up with ways of preventing the problem…
Our society has become corrupt at each level, and the police force is no exception. While most officers are committed to maintaining honor and integrity in their service to the public, there will be crime or misconduct among both female and male officers (Gottschalk, 2011). Police officers should be upholding the image of sacrifice, dignity, and overall competency (Gottschalk, 2011). Unfortunately, corruption can happen and add distrust amongst the public toward the public service of police officers. These actions of misconduct can include oppression, racial profiling, physical or emotional abuse of power, overall mistreatment of citizens or prisoners in their care, extortion, misuse of information or perjury, and overall manipulation (Gottschalk, 2011).…
Corruption and brutality scandals have severely tarnished the public’s faith in the police. From the killings and brutalizing of citizens in New York City to the widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, more and more law enforcement administrators are faced with the task of reforming police department, with little guidance on how to bring about the necessary changes. This is not the first time in our country’s history that corruption and brutality have been front page news. Part of our current problems stem from the unprecedented level of drugs, gangs and guns in our cities. Systemically, the problems are caused by law enforcement agencies that continue to hire the wrong type of people as police officers and then participate in cover-ups of misconduct.…
The leaders of criminal justice organizations are faced with many challenges on a daily basis. Some of these challenges include noble cause corruption, communication skills, conflict and power, legal and political challenges, and shortage of help. According to "Ethics in Policing" (n.d.), noble cause corruption in policing is defined as "corruption committed in the name of good ends, corruption that happens when police officers care too much about their work. It is corruption committed in order to get the bad guys off the streets…the corruption of police power, when officers do bad things because they believe that the outcomes will be good” (Noble Cause Corruption). Some examples of noble cause corruption include falsifying or planting evidence, committing perjury court, writing incorrect information on police reports, and abusing police authority. Ensuring that employees are trained properly can help prevent corruption.…
The most common types of police misconduct include excessive force, sexual assault, intentional false arrest, falsifying evidence, extortion, and other related offenses (Color 2000). Police misconduct has become more prevalent since 1970 when drugs became a major driver of corruption replacing gambling, prostitution and alcohol (Bayley 2011). Public activists groups and internal affairs units are put in place in law enforcement agencies which primarily govern police misconduct investigations by officers under the “Depravation of Right under Color of Law,” Title 18, US Code, Section 242, (Color 2000). There are important factors to focus on to help understand and prevent officer misconduct, including officer’s integrity, positive leadership, and continuing ethical boundaries long after the hiring process. However, this scrutiny should not prevent police officers from effectively doing their jobs and seeking a peace officer career.…
Being a police officer is an honorable career. For the majority of the public, a police officer is one of the more respected members of the community because everyone looks up to them to protect their community. The work that police officers do, for the most part, is noble for the reason that they put their life on the line for everyone, every day. There is no doubt a great deal of personal fulfillment that comes from the duties and responsibilities assigned to police officers, because they get to help out in the community. Police officers have a duty to serve and protect and that type of job description can only affect the community in a positive way. We see the way that people can affect their community in the reading by Psychology Professor Howard Gardner et al, “Good Work in Difficult Times.” This essay describes people who do good work and it not only shares the value systems of people who do good work but it shares how that carries over into the community. Additionally, this reading discusses standards, by which professionals ought to adhere too. Being a police officer does not come without challenges that can cause problems with community relations. One of the many challenges, both past and present, facing police departments is police corruption. To further explore the topic of corruption we look the reading entitled, “The Code of Silence” written by senior research experts in the field of criminology and crime prevention, Joycelyn Pollock, Juha Kaariainen, Ahti Laitinen, and Tomi Lintonen, who concede that the most prevalent form of corruption facing our police departments and police administrators is The Blue Wall of Silence. The Blue Wall of Silence is the name used to explain the unity exhibited by police officers in an attempt to limit their co-operation when a police official is accused in the line of duty. Even though the Blue Wall of Silence has arisen out of the understandable need for police officers to be able to…
When police officers act in unethical ways, it reduces the amount of trust that the public has for the police and the law enforcement system in general. Officers who lie and engage in other unethical behaviors endanger themselves and their agencies, exposing themselves and others to criminal and civil liability, as well as community ridicule and outrage. Police attorneys and police managers alike must continue to educate from within concerning the legal and practical consequences of failing to aggressively address officers with integrity issues. Every effort must be made to assist with the education of outside boards, preparation and presentation of discipline cases and appeals, and drafting of legislation to strengthen state disciplinary boards to act as needed. Proper agency…
The “Code of Silence” is not the only way police commit misconduct and show forms of integrity in our society. Spectacular scandals further prove the underlying issue of the quality and accountability of our public servants. The Diallo shooting in New York, the torture of a Haitian immigrant with a plunger in New York, The video taped Rodney King beating in Los Angeles, and the widespread corruption in the New Orleans police force are just a few prime examples of ongoing Police corruption in our society.…
Police officers are held at a higher form of ethical behavior and when they violate the trust bestowed upon them with the position they held, they entire department is viewed as a r corrupt agencies and all they service within that agency are bad people. Their professional responsibilities are driven by codes of ethics to assist them in executing their duties and to safeguard these higher standards of conduct. Everyday law enforcement officials are confronted with a maze of commitments in the implementation of their official duties. (Papenfuhs 2011) Even though law enforcement officials have these standards, they are still challenged with moral dilemmas. This mean the officer is challenged to make a decision which sometimes conflicts with societal and personal ethical morals and values and provide no satisfactory outcome. When police officer and any official representing the public is investigate for selling drugs or anything that stains the agency, that agencies ethical standards are bought into question. (Papenfuhs 2011)…
Police corruption is the simple product of Marxian theory. In this case the means of production are simply the power that people of the law possess and their ability to bend it to suit their own selfish desires. The cause is our cash driven society that inspires greed even in the hearts of those who are supposed to protect us. Civilians and law enforcement officers alike will continue to be effected by this problem. Since its beginnings, many aspects of policing have changed; one aspect that has remained relatively unchanged is the existence of corruption. If you take a look in a local newspaper it is likely that you will find an article about a police officer that has been arrested for committing some kind of corrupt act. Officers have been stealing money from dealers and distributing drugs themselves. They are protected, hiding behind their brass badges that they proudly display. The way to solve this problem comes from either Weber’s ideal system of nobility or Durkheimian theory where corruption would be intolerable and quickly unveiled from the inside. The people of the community are responsible for bringing about these kinds of changes in our society. Only with a system that awards bravery and honor will police officers be turned away from a life of corruption.…
Police corruption comes in all forms ranging from drug-related corruption, police deception, sleeping on duty, sex-related corruption, to domestic violence within their families. I feel as when an officer commits an act of corruption, they feel because they are the police and there is a code of silence between police officers, that the corrupt officers may feel like they can commit acts of corruption without getting caught or reprimanded. Drug related corruption will lure the police to look the other away and in return make a lot of money for…
For years police corruption has been a major problem in American society but where is the line between moral and unethical police corruption, many modern movies address this vary issue. Some films portray how types of police corruption can have a positive influence on society, while others show the dark side of police corruption. Many law enforcement agents join the criminal justice with the basic idea of "justice for all," however, most of them do not realize that the nice guy doesn't always win. Even though there are vast amounts of movies which specifically address police corruption we will use three main movies for our argument today, mostly LA Confidential, however, also Training Day.…
informed discretion in all activities. Combination of power, authority, and discretion in police work produces great potential for abuse.…