Police have tremendous power in society that can enable corruption if abused. While most officers act ethically, a small minority engage in misconduct like accepting bribes, using excessive force, or dealing drugs. Notable cases of police corruption include Frank Serpico exposing widespread corruption in the NYPD in the 1970s and over 100 officers in Puerto Rico being arrested for drug trafficking in 2010. Reducing corruption requires reforms like improving training, oversight, and establishing civilian review boards.

1. CHAPTER 7
Police Corruption and
Misconduct

2. Abuse of Power by Police
The majority of police officers are professional and
ethical. However, a small minority abuse their power.
This leads to close scrutiny by the public of all police.
Police officers have tremendous power in our society:
• The power to arrest
• The power to mediate or to charge
• The power to use force
• The power of life and death

3. Police Corruption:
A Worldwide
ProblemBaksheesh – another word for graft

4. Frank
Serpico
NYPD
(1970)
• Became police officer in 1959.
• After 12 years became a detective.
• Discovered corruption was
rampant in the NYPD.
• He & a fellow officer went to the
media & participated in an exposé
of the corruption.
• Experienced retaliation & and was
shot in the face before he could
testify.
• Left department for 10 years &
later came back to speak out
against police corruption.

5. Types of Corruption
1973 Knapp Commission:
Grass eaters—accepting bribes, gratuities, and unsolicited
protection money
Meat eaters—shakedowns, “shopped” at burglary scenes,
and engaged in more active deviant practices
1993 Mollen Commission:
Criminal cops—burglary rings, selling drugs, robbing drug
dealers

6. Corruption
in Puerto
Rico
(2010)
• Largest investigation into police
corruption in the FBI’s history
• October 2010
• FBI sent approximately 1K
agents to Puerto Rico
• 130 people and 80 officers
arrested on drug trafficking
charges
• Officers accused of selling
protection to drug dealers

7. Police Abuse of Authority
(Barker and Carter)

8. • In 2010, it was alleged that the FCSO
used "tasers” against detainees in its
jails.
• It was alleged that the FCSO engaged in
an unconstitutional pattern & practice of
using tasers in an abusive manner, failing
to adequately investigate their use, &
failing to adequately train corrections
deputies in the use of tasers.
• In February 2011, claims were settled by
entering a court-enforceable settlement
agreement.
• The Settlement Agreement requires the
FCSO to reform policies, procedures, &
training on use of tasers and its
investigations in their use.
• The DOJ monitors compliance with the
Settlement Agreement.
Franklin
County
Sheriff’s Office
Consent
Decree
Columbus, OH
2010

9. Corruption (Fyfe and Kane)
• Police crime —police officers violate criminal statutes.
• Police corruption —officer uses his or her position,
by act or omission, to obtain improper financial benefit,
bribes, extra-job policy abuse, gratuities (may be
criminal or not).
• Abuse of power —officers physically injure or offend
a citizen’s sense of dignity (“brutality” or unnecessary
force, deception in interrogation, intimidation on the
street, perjury, planting evidence, and hiding
exculpatory evidence, off-duty misconduct).

10. Apodaca
Prison
Mexico
(2010)
• Zetas drug cartel stabbed and
bludgeoned 44 members of the rival
Gulf cartel to death and then staged
a mass escape.
• Prisoners were given guns and cars
and ordered to go and kill rival drug
cartel members.
• They killed 17 people and are
suspected of 3 more mass killings.
• Top prison officials were implicated.
• Illustration of how much control drug
cartels have over criminal justice in
Mexico.

11. Gratuities
Items of value given because of role or
position, rather than personal relationship.
•A gift is personal and has no strings attached.
•Common police gratuities include:
oFree coffee
oFree movie/sports tickets
oDiscounted or free meals
oDiscounted or free merchandise

12. Professional Courtesy
• The practice of not ticketing an
officer who is stopped for speeding
or for other driving violations.

13. Police work factors that foster drug use:
• Exposure to a criminal element
• Relative freedom from supervision
• Uncontrolled availability of contraband
Drinking on duty:
• Creates less vulnerability to corruption than drug use
• Creates an ethical dilemma for other officers
• May lead other officers to isolate themselves from or avoid
working with those who drink
Using Drugs/Alcohol on Duty

14. Graft
Exploitation of one’s role by accepting bribes
or protection money.
• Also applies to kickbacks from defense attorneys,
bail bond companies, etc.
• Bribes rated in one study as second most serious
ethical transgression (after theft from burglary
scene).

15. Sexual Misconduct (Kraska &
Kappeler)
• Viewing a victim's
photos, etc., for prurient
purposes
• Strip searches
• Illegal detentions
• Deception to gain sex
• Trading favors for sex
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual contact
• Sexual assault
• Rape

16. Criminal Cops
• “Buddy boys” (NYC)
• Mafia Cops (Eppolito & Caracappa)
• Boston (Pulido)
• Cleveland cocaine cops
• Chicago (robbery, extortion, theft)
• Miami River Rats
• Drug crimes (in all cities: protection, theft,
robbery)

17. Danziger
Bridge
Incident
New
Orleans,
LA
(2005)
• Occurred during aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina.
• Officers shot at unarmed brothers—killing
one.
• Same officers were also involved in
shooting at an unarmed family—killing a
17-year old.
• The officers invented a fictitious witness
and planted a gun supposedly used by the
victim.
• A supervisor helped the officers set up
their stories.
• 11 officers were implicated, 5 pled guilty to
lesser charges of covering up the incident,
and 6 officers were indicted on charges
from murder to obstruction.

18. Explanations
Individual:
• “Rotten-apple” argument (Officer was deviant before hiring)
• Development of a police personality (Officer became
deviant after hiring)
• Possible predictors: gender, age, education, race, military
experience, academy performance, prior history of
wrongdoing
Target: screening/recruiting process; training

19. Explanations
Institutional/Organizational:
• Poor management and supervision
• “Noble Cause” (improper rewards)
• Corruption continuum (Trautman)
o Administrative indifference toward integrity
o Ignoring ethical problems
o Hypocrisy and fear
o “Survival of the fittest”
• Continuum of compromise (Gilmartin & Harris)
o Sense of victimization
o Cynicism and entitlement
o Wrongdoing

20. Explanations
Systemic/Societal:
• If the public does not comply with the law, officers
may rationalize non-enforcement of the law.
• If the public engages in illegal activities, officers
may feel justified in doing the same.
• If the public believes crime control is more
important than due process, police will act on that
message.

21. • Increase pay
• Eliminate unenforceable laws
• Establish civilian review boards
• Improve training
• Improve leadership
Reducing Corruption (Malloy)

22. • Set realistic goals and objectives
• Provide ethical leadership
• Provide a written code of ethics
• Provide a whistle-blowing procedure that
ensures fair treatment for all parties
• Provide training in law enforcement ethics
Reducing Corruption
(Metz)

23. Education and Training
• Higher formal education standards are not,
themselves, the key to ethical behavior.
• Academy and in-service ethics training are common
and recommended for all departments.
• Many courses use a moral reasoning approach.
• Some advocate an emphasis on character.
• Others recommend case studies.

24. • Very controversial
• Not well-received by most officers
• Comparing integrity testing to undercover
operations reveals that:
o Most officers oppose integrity testing
o Most officers support undercover operations
Integrity Testing

25. Early Warning or Audit Systems
• Seek to identify problem officers by trends of
abuse or corruption complaints
• Identified officers may be subject to:
o Reassignment, retraining, or transfer
o Referral to an employee assistance program
o A fitness-for-duty evaluation
o Dismissal

26. • Police investigate themselves
• Police use an internal discipline system
• Widely seen as ineffective
• May discourage civilian complaints
• Does not evoke public confidence
Internal Affairs
Model

27. Civilian Review/Complaint
Model
• An independent civilian agency audits complaints
and investigations
• Police still investigate and conduct discipline
proceeding
• Using departments receive more civilian
complaints
• Internal and external substantiation rates about
the same—approximately ten percent

28.  Mistrust of police administration is pervasive
among the rank-and file.
 Two cultures of policing: street cops and
management.
 Most agree that supervisor behavior has greater
influence on employee behavior than directives
or ethics.
 Leaders lead most effectively by example.
Ethical Leadership