Police Corruption Essay

Frank Serpico was a police officer in the 1960s that was excited and nervous about it at the same
time because of what the job entailed. Serpico soon realized that there was a significant amount
of corruption in the field and no one said anything about it. He was placed in an "action" precinct
in Brooklyn which means that area has a high crime rate which he was excited about. He soon
became sick of the job and strove to be a detective which did not necessarily work out for him. He
sought to fight against the corruption, the justice system, and the rumors started based on an
idea of someone's sexual orientation and no evidence to back it up. Some corruption revolved
around bribery, special treatment and laziness. An example of this is when the court marshals
offer that put up the eviction notices bribe the cops with five dollars to break down the door and
kick the residents out. Another form of bribery being accepted was when the cop accepted the
money that the guy offered so that he would not get a ticket. Serpico refused all of these bribes
and sought to end cop corruption. The cops fell asleep at their position when they were working
overnight and would set alarms on when to call the Sergeant and when the sergeant would make
their rounds to assure all the men are working. Serpico did not sleep on the job either in case he had
to catch a criminal. The police officers got special treatment by the public, so they wouldn't have to
pay for meals. Serpico soon realized the different world that the police officers have in
comparison to the public which are oblivious to the reality. One night Serpico caught a burglary
carrying a knife, who already committed three crimes before, so he would have been put away
for approximately 20 years, but since he got a good lawyer they ruled it as a minor wrongdoing
and only got sentenced to three months. At this point he lost all faith in the justice system until one
day he realized he could help someone. A man asked him for help deliver his baby, and he did so
without being nervous, he soon found out they named the baby after him and that gave him great
joy. After all this he was aspiring to be a detective, to be part of the investigation, and not just in the
aspect of
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Police Corruption
Police Corruption
Second Essay for AJ 101
Krystal Lamas
Victor Valley Community College
Author Note
This paper was prepared for AJ 101 for Mr. Ronald M. Field .M.A.
Abstract
Police corruption is a complex issue. Police corruption or the abuse of authority by a police officer,
acting officially to fulfill personal needs or wants, is a growing problem in the United States today.
Things such as an Internal Affairs department, a strong leadership organization, and community
support are just a few considerations in the prevention of police corruption. Controlling corruption
from the departmental level requires a strong leadership organization, because corruption can take
place anywhere from the patrol officer to the chief. The top...show more content...
Is there a solution to the police corruption problem? Probably not, because since its beginnings,
many aspects of policing have changed, but one thing that has not, is the existence of corruption.
Police agencies, in an attempt to eliminate corruption have tried everything from increasing salaries,
requiring more training and education, and developing policies which are intended to focus directly
of factors leading to corruption. Despite police departments ' attempts to control corruption, it still
occurs. Regardless of the fact, police corruption cannot simply be over looked. Controlling
corruption is the only way that we can really limit corruption, because corruption is the byproduct of
the individual police officer, and police environmental factors; therefore, control must come from not
only the police department, but it also must require the assistance and support of the community
members. If a police administrator does not act strongly with disciplinary action against any corrupt
activity, the message conveyed to other officers within the department would not be that of intimated
nature. In addition it may even increase corruption, because officers feel no actions will be taken
against them. Another way that police agencies can control its corruption problem starts originally in
the academy. Ethical decisions and behavior should be taught.

Essay on Police Corruption: Crooked Cops
"Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information,
there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions. When there is no sharing of
power, no rule of law, no accountability, there is abuse, corruption, subjugation and indignation."
– Atifete Jahjaga ––
They are the everyday heroes that many people often take for granted until a pivotal moment of
tragedy or madness enters into their lives. While we sleep in our warm beds at night police officers
work around the clock during all times of the night to ensure the safety and security of our
communities and its citizens both young and old (Aveni, Thomas J.). However, what happens when
our everyday heroes are found...show more content...
Shortly afterwards a second police car came up and a five day uproar resulted in the lives of 34
people, nearly 1000 wounded people, and over 200 million dollars in property damage (Los Angeles
Watts Riots of 1965).
After the disgracing actions of his partner, Officer Hanson, the "good cop" requests a change in
partners, a commendable act on his part. However, the actions of his African American overseer
Lieutenant Dixon, to whom Hanson consulted about his request, were disturbing. Lieutenant
Dixon"s overall personae, while disagreeable for a man in his position, as a black man and an
authority figure, shows the viewers from whom Officer Ryan"s preconceived judgments may have
derived. While the numbers have increased over the years, the statistics and demographics of the
number of black officers on the Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD, and other such precincts
have not been many in comparison to the number of white law officers (Hutchinson, Earl Ofari).
Officer Ryan makes a statement about how his father hired and worked alongside black people in
a time when it was almost unheard of for a white man to do such an act (Crash). After being raised
upon this notion from his father"s work experience and training for seventeen years under
Lieutenant Dixon, one could certainly perceive Officer Ryan"s distaste towards people in a higher
position than he was, especially those

Police Corruption In Law Enforcement
One of the issues that exist today is police corruption and the effect it has on the public's image of
the law enforcement. Acts involving misuse of authority by a police officer in a manner designed
to produce personal gain for the officers. Corruption in law enforcement has been a problem and it
dates back since policing began. Part of the issue is ethics has never been an important part of the
police academy curriculum. Ethical dilemmas are often rooted in the ends–versus–means
controversy. This lack of education, corruption may creep into a department, beginning with
justification for accepting small gratuities such as a free coffee. Ultimately, such justifications can
escalate with loyalty overcoming integrity and then entitlement overcoming...show more content...
The first step of any issue is the identifying the problem with police corruption. Before we can
correct something, we have to identify what it is that we are trying to fix. The second step of
leading by objective is discussing a specific statement that that defines the issue at hand. For
example, my specific statement is police corruption cannot exist in our ranks and our
communities. The third step is developing several courses of action plans that are the best
solution to the problem. My team will review whether solutions to prevent younger officers from
falling into that pattern. The fourth step is comparing the pros and cons of all viable solutions
that are available to make a smart and the best decision. The best decision is not necessarily the
most reasonable, but it is most likely the best option to solve the problem. One of the options that
is related to optional strategies is placing incentive programs in place to reduce corruption amongst
law enforcement. The fifth step is implementing the best option by enforcing the standards that are
aligned with the best solution. For example, when I introduce a plan to reduce corruption, I will
identify the individuals that are going to be affected, when the enforcement will begin and briefing
the plan of action to the subordinates. The sixth step is having the ability to measure the overall
success of that plan of action. The way my team will measure this is by comparing a previous
month to another. The last step of the leading by objective process is feedback and getting input
from those that are involved in the course of action plan. This step is important when reviewing
whether or not something might require a revision or any necessary changes (Whisenand & McCain,

Police Corruption and Misconduct Essay
Police corruption and misconduct come apparent in many different forms. A basic definition for
police corruption is, when an officer gets involved in offenses where the officer uses his or her
position, by act or omission, to obtain improper financial benefit. The main reason for such
corruption is typically for personal gain, such as bribery. Police abuse of authority occurs in three
different general areas such as physical abuse, psychological abuse, and legal abuse. Physical abuse
is such abuse where one uses excessive force or physical harassment. The psychological abuse occurs
through disrespect, harassment, ridicule, excessive stops, or intimidation. Finally, legal abuse is
abuse that occurs during unlawful search and seizure...show more content...
This could occur if an officer sees an off duty police officer who is drunk driving, but does not take
action in pulling them over and arrest them for their conduct. If he does, the streets are that much
safer, but if he doesn't and the driver goes off and kills a person, that would make a bad use of
selective enforcement (Lyman 2005). Many officers use alcohol and drugs while on duty. Although
this commonly occurs in undercover agents, it can happen with even your regular patrol officers.
This type of misconduct occurs because there is typically a lack of supervision, a massive
availability of contraband, and an exposure to the criminal element. Graft on the other hand, is
when the officer exploits their role by accepting bribes or money protection (Pollock, 2012). Such
conduct occurs when officers use their uniformed authority to create a personal supply of money
(Lyman 2005). Sexual misconduct occurs when officers use their authority as a way to receive
sexual acts from citizens of society. This happens mainly with male officers towards female citizens.
This type of misconduct also occurs within the department, mainly through sexual harassment of
female officers. The final component of corruption and misconduct is that of criminal cops. These
officers have basically switched to criminal activity in their day to day tasks (Pollock, 2012).
A perfect example of this happened in the movie Street Kings that we watched as a class

Police Corruption in America Essay
Police Corruption in America
The police officer stands at the top of the criminal justice system in a nation where crime rates are
high and where the demands for illegal goods and services are widespread. These conditions create
a situation in which the police officer is confronted with opportunity to accept a large number of
favors or grants. Police corruption occurs in many forms and observers of police behavior agree
that it falls into nine specific areas. Drug related police corruption differs from other types of police
corruption. In addition to protecting criminals or ignoring their activities, officers involved in drug
related corruption were more likely to be involved in stealing drugs and/or money from drug dealers,
...show more content...
Unbelievably, there are cases of corruption that are far worse. Two have been charged with keeping
a brothel, for which they are alleged to have kidnapped a 15–year–old virgin. Another officer set up
a children's home, which he advertised as a charity. "Charlie's Shelter" in fact offered young boys
for sex. The local police record an unusual number of suicides and mysterious incidents of heart
failure. One detective failed to notice that a tourist, whom he diagnosed as having been beaten to
death, had been shot at point–blank range. Perhaps the officer in question was distracted by the
strain of managing his second–hand car business.
The people in charge of the police organizations are not blind to what is going on; some are just
too scared to admit that there are corrupt officers in their force. Others may just really not know
what is going on while the rest are either involved in the corruption or speaking up and trying to stop
the dishonesty. For example, Roy Penrose, director–general of a new squad, warned the public that a
"small but significant number" of officers were known to be selling police information and aiding
former officers and criminals as to the whereabouts of safe havens where they could go unharmed in
dealing in their drug trades. He pledged to be "ruthless" in sacking corrupt and incompetent officers
(Welch, p 13).
James Wood, a former

Police Corruption
The relationship between a police department and the community is an ideal that has become very
prominent in recent years. Cultivating trust between the two sides is not something that comes
easily, and its something that can be broken in one negative interaction. For police to effectively and
adequately do their job, the public must believe that they will police in a respectful and fair manner.
The aim of this paper is to examine the detrimental actions taken by the police officers of the New
York Police Department in the '60s and '70s that caused the public to lose faith in their police
department, and to analyze the backlash it had on all the police departments across America. New
York City in the 1960s was a hotbed for police corruption. It could easily be labeled as a systemic
problem. It was so extensive that it ran all the way up to the Police Commissioner's Office and
incorporated government officials. This level of corruption would eventually culminate in the
creation of The Commission to Investigate Alleged Police Corruption, more commonly called The
Knapp Commission. It was a five–member panel created by New York City Major John V. Lindsay
and headed by Chairman Whitman Knapp. This panel was a response to a series of damning
New York Times articles and to the massive influx of civilian complaints. The newspaper article
had such disastrous, and accurate, information because the papers sources were two police
officers, who wanted to remained anonymous for the time being. The panel was tasked to
investigate corrupt activities of the police officers, detectives, and supervisors working in the
NYPD. The two anonymous policemen, Frank Serpico and David Durk, were invaluable with the
information they provided to the New York Times. Serpico and Durk were upset at the sheer
amount of brazen illegal activities they saw being perpetrated by other police officers. They were
shocked with the amount of corruption that went on on a daily basis, but even more so disgusted by
the lack of action taken by the District Attorney after they both filed numerous complaints. It was
only after the New York Times article became public that any real action was taken. And that,
presumably, was only because of the massive

The Corruption Of Police Corruption
With recent negative media coverage concerning police officers, police corruption has become a
major topic. Police officers seem to be making more questionable and unethical decisions according
to the media. With these questionable actions, the idea that police officers are corrupt has been a
steadily growing opinion. I will be focusing this literature review on the history of police corruption,
mostly in major cities/countries; the nature of police corruption; the ethics involved in law
enforcement; causes for police corruption and finally possible solutions to police corruption.
History of Police CorruptionSince the start of policing in America, there have been major police
corruption scandals, especially in New York City. Throughout the course of the last century, the
NYPD has withstood at least six major corruption scandals which have resulted in commissions
(Muraskin & Roberts , 2009). For each of the commissions, they discussed the findings of the
commissions and their attempts to prevent that form of corruption from happening again. However,
it only seemed to solve certain aspects of those problems and not the whole problem. The findings
of those commissions are especially important since they demonstrate that the behaviors and patterns
of corruption have changed over the years. Police corruption is not a problem that is based only in
one country, but a problem all over the world (Newburn, 1999). Police corruption is happening in
major countries from the

Example Of Police Corruption
Misgovernance
Kara (2009) found numerous examples of law enforcement corruption and harassment during his
ethnographic study of sex trafficking. For example, the police harass Silpa a sex slave turned
Garhwali (brothel owner) by constantly demanding bribes of $1.50 per prostitute residing in the
brothel, which equal $150 US dollars (Kara, 2009). Furthermore, Silpa claimed the police officers
were the most corrupt in India and paying off the police was the biggest expense in running her
business (Kara, 2009). Silpa noted, during the raids, prostitutes are arrested and brothel owners and
customers are free to go (Kara, 2009).
Kempadoo (2012) provides a second example of police harassment in brothels. Durbar Mahila
Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), known as Sonagachi Project, is an organization of sex workers,
that operates an intervention program for STDs and HIV and assists women who want to leave
sex work (Kempadoo, 2012). Sonagachi Project, indicated the Kolkata Police Force has raided
brothels and harassed sex workers and although, the sex workers have attempted to protest, the
government fails to acknowledge their allegations (Kempadoo, 2012). The Sonagachi Project shared
an illustration, although police officers gained knowledge a minor they were searching for wasn't in
the brothel, they dismissed the claim, raided the brothel and used excessive force against the sex
workers, staff and bystanders (Kempadoo, 2012).
Furthermore, to illustrate the entrenchment of

Reduce Police Corruption
I will be listing and describing ways on how to control and reduce police corruption (Bohm &
Haley, 2012). Some of the ways I will list and describe will be high moral standards, police
policies and discipline, proactive internal affairs, uniform enforcement of the law, outside review
and special prosecutor, and court review and oversight. List and describe some of the ways to
control and reduce police corruption. The first way to control corruption is by having high moral
standards (Bohm & Haley, 2012). By employing officers with high morals with an in–depth academy
and in–service training which teaches ethics will help the officers in compromising positions in their
career.
The second way to control corruption is by having police policies and...show more content...
This is where your department enforces the law equally regardless of a group or citizen's
affiliation. This will reduce the offerings of bribes or other forms of corruption. What helps with
this control is clear policies and procedures with proper discipline.
The fifth way to control corruption is by outside review and special prosecutor (Bohm & Haley,
2012). Most leadership and labor associations usually resist any kind of outside reviews but they
have shown improvements of agencies they have investigated. The special prosecution is brought in
for serious cases to relieve the agency and government from any improper accusations.
The sixth way to control corruption is by court review and oversight (Bohm & Haley, 2012). By
having court review and oversight will reduce criminal prosecution and civil liabilities. With this
kind of oversight, it can cause adverse media coverage, civil awards, and higher insurance rates.
Therefore, using these six ways to control corruption listed above it will help with corruption and
keep trust with the communities they protect (Bohm & Haley, 2012).

Police Corruption Essay : Good Cop And Bad Cop
Good Cop, Bad Cop
When something is said about a cop it usually goes one of two ways, either they are praised on the
job they do or they are put down and called names. Police officers have been known to take bribes
for illegal things. There is corruption all over the states, it is everywhere from Chicago to even
Kansas. Police tactics are endangering civilian lives. Corruption is causing so much tension between
civilians and officers. Not all police officers are corrupt, but the ones who are give a bad reputation
to them all.
First, what is corruption? Police corruption is the abuse of police authority for personal gain.
Corruption may involve profit or another type of material benefit gained illegally as a consequence
of the officer's...show more content...
He had been charged in 2001 with running a crew of rogue officers who robbed drug dealers,
stole their cash and sold their drugs to other dealers. (Smith, 2017) This is one of the millions of
cases that involve them going against their job for personal benefit. Major cities are the worst for
crimes like these. For example, the Chicago police department has a very violent history with
corruption, and it continues to grow to this day.
Police officers have been known to allow prisoners to escape, or to support or participate in
kidnapping and extortion rings. There have been cases of security force members providing
weapons and information to criminal groups and even procuring grenades for prison mafias.
(Venezuela Investigative Unit, 2016) Incidents like these are endangering the lives of millions and
it needs to be put to a stop. They are trusted to help civilians in any way that they can, but many of
them are doing more harm than anything. From January 2010 through December 2010 the National
Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project recorded 4,861 unique reports of police
misconduct that involved 6,613 sworn law enforcement officers and 6,826 alleged victims.
(Packman, 2011) Those statistics were from 2010, which was seven years ago, just imagine how
much that number has grown since then. Since 2005, 77 officers have been charged with murder or
manslaughter in US. (Sanchez, 2016) The worst part about all this is they

Police Corruption Has Become A Major Problem
Throughout history, police corruption has become a major problem in the United States. It is
defined as a form of police misconduct that involves the act of either a single officer, or a group of
officers who abuse their powers to achieve personal or departmental gains. From as early as the
nineteenth century, corruption has not only affected law enforcement agencies, but also our
continuously changing society. Even though police officers are predominantly seen as honest and
professional, the few who are dishonest and corrupt tend to devalue the profession as a whole.
Police corruption is a general problem that is seen in both second and third world countries and is
usually investigated by internal affairs divisions. Oftentimes it is hard...show more content...
This investigation also led to the establishment of the two main types of corrupt officers known as,
the "meat–eaters" and "grass–eaters." (The–Crankshaft Publishing, 2017) As stated by the Knapp
Commission, Meat–eaters predominantly abuse their powers for personal gain, while grass–eaters
simply accept payoffs or gratuities. Officers typically become grass–eaters to prove their loyalty to
the brotherly allegiance, while others are influenced by or even become meat–eaters. (New York
Post, 2016/17)
It is a police officer's responsibility, stated in the code of conduct, to serve, protect, and ensure the
rights of the people; so it is baffling that some officers engage in these types of corrupt behaviors.
Some theories suggest that these behaviors have to do with police discretion. Discretion is not a
problem when used correctly, but when it is taken advantage of it can become a major problem.
Police rules and regulations do not cover every situation, so when police officers are put in a
situation where they need to make a decision, not all officers make the right one. In certain
situations this could be the difference between life and death. Another suggested theory is lack of
supervision. Many police officers do their work with very little supervision which could lead to
officers not following

Essay On Police Corruption
There are strong willed efforts to create and maintain a high a performing police agency in the US.
However, that many people forget is that the police are human, and are working within a human built
system. The law enforcement is something civilization will continuously need. Nevertheless, there is
still a need to question and recreate the leadership models administered within the bounds of
managing police officers. For an organization or team to sustain long–term success, ethical integrity
must involve being trustful, meeting obligations, and being respectful.
In a police force, your prime responsibility as a soldier is to finish the task efficiently and as a
detective or chief it is to complete the task at hand better than anyone else. Honesty is where it
starts and your ability to follow up on that will improve the morale and cohesion within your
respective unit. Few police officers are just trying to protect and serve, yet there are widespread
problems across the law enforcement culture, and many existing problems that distress the work
police do. The main problem within the justice system is police corruption. The police corruption is
a complex phenomenon that has been around for a while, which does not enthusiastically submit to
simple analysis. The police corruption affects us all, whether we are civilians or law enforcement
officers. Since the beginnings, many aspects of policing have transformed; however, one trait that
has continued relatively gone unchanged is

Police And Police Corruption
Corruption in the justice system can take place at any time beginning with a criminal investigation
or when a lawsuit is filed down to the courts decisions. Corruption often occurs at stages where the
public cannot see it. Much of the corruption in the justice system is not easy to expose or prove
(Pepys, 2003).
Police corruption are actions that exploit their powers as low enforcement officers (Williams &
Arrigo, 2012). Police corruption can and has caused much of the public to lose confidence in law
enforcement. When police are corrupt, it impacts society more than corruption of other government
agencies because of their role as the gatekeeper of the justice system and authority (Lee, Lim,
Moore, & Kim, 2013). Police have a wide range of discretionary powers that often goes unchecked.
Much of their corruption can be found in areas such as report filing or in their investigations (Pepys,
2003.)
In a 1983 Reus–Ianni's two–year study of NYPD officers found that there was a difference in the
behavior of management police officers and patrol officers' misconduct (Lee, Lim, Moore, & Kim,
2013). The patrol officer was more likely to be involved in police corruption and were found to
perceive police corruption less seriously (Lee, Lim, Moore, & Kim, 2013).
The 'slippery slope' theory of first accepting gratuities will often turn into serous corruption, is one
idea of how police began their descent into corruption (Lee, Lim, Moore, & Kim, 2013). Tolerating

Police Misconduct and Corruption Essay
Within our police system in America, there are gaps and loopholes that give leeway to police
officials who either abuse the authority given to them or do not represent the ethical standards that
they are expected to live up to by society. Because of the nature of police work, there is a potential
for deterioration of these ethical and moral standards through deviance, misconduct, corruption, and
favoritism. Although these standards are set in place, many police officers are not held accountable
for their actions and can easily get by with the mistreatment of others because of their career title.
While not every police abuses his or her power, the increasingly large percentage that do present a
problem that must be recognized by the public...show more content...
In order to define misconduct, it is also necessary to define integrity (Martin 1). Martin states that
integrity is "the sum of the virtues required to bring about the general goals of protections and
service to the public (1)." He then explains that officers must possess the qualities of prudence, trust,
courage, honesty, justice, and responsibility in order to be an exceptional officer.
These types of misconduct arise throughout police jobs that include routine procedures such as
traffic stops, ticket writing, directing traffic, and discouraging potential threats to those in their
community. What often go unnoticed, though, are the undercover works and the corruptions that go
on within a department. The four terms associated with these conflicting values are deviance, which
is behavior inconsistent with the norms, values, or ethics, corruption, which is forbidden acts
involving misuse of office for gain, misconduct, which is the violation of departmental procedures,
and favoritism which is unfair "breaks" to friends or relatives.
According to T.R. O'Connor in his article entitled "Police Deviance and Ethics", police also work
also includes the behind the scenes work of going undercover and taking on false identities to induce
crime, reporting vague information to media and giving false ideas to the public, and invading
privacy through the use of technology. They can also make

Examples Of Police Corruption
What is Police corruption? In legal dictionary Police corruption is defined as "The misuse of police
authority for personal gain". Personal gain can mean monetary payment or any other type of benefit.
Corruption is not a new or uncommon obstacle facing the police departments. The problem goes far
back as the forming of the organized police forces. Police corruption is a problem that hurts both the
police organization and the society. Since its beginning many aspects of policing has changed;
however, one aspect that has remained unchanged is the corruption within the police departments. In
my paper I will be looking into an instance of police corruption scandal that happened in Los Angeles
Police Department (LAPD). What gave rise to corruption,...show more content...
At that time Officer Perez was suspected of working with known drug dealers to distribute the
cocaine on the streets. But the scandal started revealing later in 1999 after Perez made a deal with
prosecutors under which he pled guilty to cocaine theft and agreed to provide prosecutors with
wrongdoing in the Rampart CRASH unit. Perez worked with investigators over the next year,
providing over 4,000 pages of interrogation transcripts. Perez's testimony revealed police corruption
on an unimagined scale, implicating police officers in wrongful killings, indiscriminate beatings
and violence, theft, and drug dealing. Perez's testimony also implicated dozens of police officers in
systematic acts of dishonest law enforcement, exposing hundreds of instances in which evidence or
contraband was planted on suspects, false statements were coerced or fabricated, and police officers
offered perjured testimony in court. Perez's confessions prompted the LAPD to re–name its
investigative task force the "Rampart Task Force". The Task Force was charged with corroborating
Perez's allegations of corruption within Rampart CRASH. What followed was, in the words of one
independent commission, one of the worst police scandals in American history. Ultimately, the
District Attorney was

Police Corruption Research Paper
Police: persons whose responsibility is to enforce laws; usually the term used for city or municipal
officers, as opposed to county deputies (Peak, 2015). The duty of a police officer is to protect, serve
and maintain order of the public. However, who is maintaining order of the police? Or preventing
and detecting whether they are committing a crime and abusing their power? Like in any other
profession, police officers tend to get away with unethical behavior. Hence, there should be more
police accountability. There are many actions that police officers should be held accountable for,
like: false arrests, negligence, off–duty activities, search and seizures, wrongful death suits and
police pursuits, using excessive force, and corruption.
Police corruption is a worldwide issue, from North American to South America and Asia. Police
corruption is a form of police misbehavior in which law enforcement officers break their social
agreement and abuse their power for personal or departmental gain. There are three types of police
corruption. The first one is absolute corruption, which are illegal acts for personal gain. Officers
misuse their authority by extorting civilians. Extortion includes collecting money to protect a
criminal, overlook a crime or possible crime, altering testimonies, destroying evidence, taking
property, selling criminal...show more content...
For instance, January of 2016, a Chicago native, Ben Baker was released from prison after serving
10 out of 14 years sentence. Ben was set up by officers during a sting operation. The officers were
known in the apartment complex, they would steal narcotics, extort dealers for protection money
and pin cases on individuals who refused to follow their orders. However, they failed to notice that
they pinned the exact same charges, as Ben Baker, on another individual. The officers were
investigated, terminated and tried for their

Essay on Police Brutality and Corruption
Police Brutality and Corruption
Corruption in policing is viewed as the misuse of authority by a police officer acting officially to
fulfill his/her personal needs or wants. There are two distinct elements of corruption; 1) misuse of
authority, 2) personal attainment. The occupational subculture of policing is a major factor in both
creating police corruption, by initiating officers into corrupt activities, and sustaining it, by covering
up corrupt activities by other officers. Police corruption is a complex phenomenon, which does not
readily submit to simple analysis. It is a problem that has and will continue to affect us all, whether
we are civilians or law enforcement officers. Since its beginnings, many aspects of policing...show
more content...
A new form of police corruption developed in the early 1980's and into the 1990's, which include
brutality, discrimination, sexual harassment, intimidation, and illicit the use of weapons. The
Mollen Commission found that "most corrupt officers start off as honest and idealistic." The
career of corruption's begins with passively accepting minor gratuities that gradually begin to
involve more serious violation of the laws, involving larger amounts of money and officers
initiating corrupt acts. It can be said that power inevitably tends to corrupt, and it is yet to be
recognized that, while there is no reason to presume that police officers as individuals are any less
fallible than other members of society, people are often shocked and outraged when officers are
exposed violating the law. There deviance elicits a special feeling of betrayal. The danger of police
corruption could invert the formal goals of the organization and may lead to "the use of
organizational power to encourage and create crime rather than to deter it". There has been many
attempts to put an end to police corruption, with no real success. An attempt to eliminate corruption,
by increasing salaries, more training, incentive for education, and the development of policies that
focus directly on factors leading to corruption. Despite many efforts by the police departments to
control corruption, it still exists. Police corruption has a very long standing

Police Corruption
Police corruption has been an issue that has left a lasting blemish on communities and society.
Police corruption usually derives a lack of respect officer(s) feel that either the city does not care
about them or they are not paid enough for their duties. Throughout this essay I will give you a
better understanding on the issue that is police corruption by using terminology from the book such
as the "rotten apple theory", "blue wall of silence" and "deviant subculture". With corruption this
affects the view we have on police and it is up to us not fall into the trap of negativity and create a
better society for the future.
From the first police station built in Boston to what is today's modern police force there has always
been corruption inside the criminal justice system, whether it be something as little as a small bribe
to look the other way, or something more serious like getting away with a major offense. The
department of justice has had trouble from top to bottom with corruption and it has proven to be a
difficult problem to fix. When policing in the U. S. were just starting out corruption and law
bending was more prevalent but harder to see which Police officers who were following the rules
and who was bending the law in their own favor to gain an advantage for themselves rather than
looking out for the community as a whole. This is because when policing first started out there were
limited officers, which meant less word of mouth and less people to respond to and

Essay on Police and Corruption
Police and Corruption
The police. Twenty–four hours a day, three hundred sixty–five days a year, this division of our
government has a mandate to enforce the criminal law and preserve public peace. Understood in this
mandate is an obligation to police everyday life matters that originate in the daily lives and activities
of citizens within their community. Police interact in some form with the average citizen more often
than any other government official. In society today the police play a key role in maintaining a
civil society. This role assumes a substantial amount of power and authority over the general public.
With power comes corruption and/or misuse of power. The question that is presented is, how and
why do the police...show more content...
That also leads to the fact that citizens who behave antagonistically towards an officer are more
likely to be arrested than those who are civil or very differential. Donald J. Black reported in "Police
control of Juveniles", American sociological Review February
1970, that when Complaints are present 72 percent of adults who behave antagonistically toward
the police are arrested in the field while only 45 percent who are civil and 40 percent who are
differential toward the police are arrested. This is an obvious misuse of discretion. When a police
officer treats a citizen antagonistically there is not much the citizen can do, but when it is the citizen
acting antagonistically it more than likely will be a determination of guilt.
When a police officers judgment is constantly questioned and his sense of justice is not validated
he may lose his commitment to the system. Police are often alienated in the criminal justice
system, in a sense there status is demeaned by the decisions of lawyers and judges. They are
treated as less of a professional. To see a person who in the officer's discretion was guilty be
released time after time, it is difficult for the officer to keep his commitment to the system. "Where
moral commitment is lost, subcultural practices take over.
One such practice that exacerbates the relationship of the police with the public is harassment"
(Reiss, p.138) Therefore police create their own

Police Corruption Essay

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Police Corruption Essay