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Police Corruption In The United States

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Police Corruption In The United States
Police Corruption
Casey Jo Bowersox
DeVry University

Police Corruption

The term police corruption is defined as the abuse of police authority for personal gain or to gain advantage for the police organization. Police corruption can take the form of a variety of criminal activities ranging from actual commission of serious criminal (i.e. drug trafficking and money laundering) to the instances where police will “look the other way” when a person commits a minor everyday violation of the law. Some police corruption may involve overlooking crimes committed by family or friends. Police corruption may also involve depriving people of their legal rights. Throughout time, corruption has been present. While most people would rather look the other way on issues such as this, we all need to find out why it happens, what we can do to further prevent it from happening and how to protect ourselves once it does happen. The history of corruption begins as early as time has first been recorded. Even before Columbus explored America the judicial system in England was subject to corruption. The corruption stemmed from tax collectors scamming people for more …show more content…
Just recently in Pennsylvania two different departments have had charges brought against them for excessive abuse from officers on subdued citizens. One precinct is from Springdale, Pennsylvania has an officer named Sargent Mark Thom was charged with excessive force. This particular officer assaulted a suspect with his fists and tasered the same defendant while he was handcuffed. The second news report found on this officer was being sued for excessive force used on an off duty cop. Due to the amount of complaints and charges against the particular officer the Federal Bureau of Investigations is pursuing federal indictment charges against Sargent
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