Police Corruption

There are many forms of police and correctional officer corruption, that affects not only the effectiveness of our criminal justice system; but also society. Police corruption can be best explained as actions which “exploit the powers of law enforcement in return for considerations of private-regarding benefit and that violate formal standards governing his or her conduct” (Arrigo & Williams, 2012). Corrupt acts can consist of: corruption of authority, kickbacks, opportunistic theft, shakedowns, fixes, protection of illegal activities and direct criminal activities. In any order or fashion, all of the above mentioned is unethical and in many cases illegal (Arrigo & Williams, 2012). As for correctional officer corruption, it can share many of the same characteristics as for policing. Instead of external, correctional officer corruption is in most cases internal; which is notable difference between the two (Arrigo & Williams, 2012).

The often sordid world of corruption, the dark side of policing, has been in existence for a very long time. Although many police are conformed to the highest ethical standards, however, the preferred, benign image of these individuals remain a structural cause of problem behavior in policing. Universally, police

In order for a Police agency to prevent and deter Police misconduct, there must be a definition to what actions and behaviors that the term will encompass. The term ‘police corruption’ has been used to describe many activities: bribery; violence and brutality; fabrication and destruction of evidence; racism; favoritism or nepotism. Many different scholars differ in their own examples of the definition. Before attempting to the question of whether a precise definition is possible, it is worth examining the range of activities that might be included within a broad discussion of corruption. In (Bayley and Perito, 2011), it is defined as police corruption is a contested phrase with narrow and broad meanings. Narrowly

Corruption has always been a danger to law enforcement, just as it has been a danger to all of mankind since the beginning of time. Since the very first police agency was formed in the 1800s, corruption has been widespread. The 19th century was an era in which politics played a very large role in police forces. Various political parties essentially had some police departments in their pockets, and as long as officers served to further those political parties’ agendas, the officers’ continued employment was guaranteed. Since politicians have not always been known for being straight-laced, one can easily see how corruption within police departments became prevalent. Since officers were not serving the people, but rather the political elite, their motives were constantly in question. It was not long before politicians began employing police officers to overlook and even protect their illicit activities. Through this practice, officers began to see the potential monetary and political benefits of allowing and participating in certain illegal actions. Even after the establishment of countermeasures such as police commissions, civil service exams, and legislative changes, corruption remained rampant. This corruption was perhaps best exemplified by none other than the actions of many officers within the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

When it comes to police corruption there are so much police misuse being conducted as police being officers they take their a police authority that they have a police officer and just misuse the power that they have. When it comes to police corruption the actions that the officers have they use it inappropriately as not as they should but as personal gain. When police officers uses their power as personal gain the actions good and bad behavior when it comes to the officers. Just thinking about police corruption and how they use and mistreat but that is one of the misconducts for a law enforcement officer. There are two kinds of abuses and they are abuse of authority and occupational deviance. Where occupational deviance is the deviant behavior

Another interesting research that was conducted on reducing police corruption, involved the Chicago Police Department. This research on completed by University of Illinois at Chicago, the Department of Political Science in 2013 by John Hagedorn, Bart Kmiecik, Dick Simpson, Thomas Gradel, Melissa Zumda, David Sterrett along with Ivana Savic, Justin Escamilla, Magdalena Waluszko, Dalibor Juricis, and Tricia Chebat. The first part of their research touched a topic every person in law enforcement is familiar with - The Code of Silence (also known as ’The Thin Blue Lines’). One example of corruption, proved even more to researchers that corruption won’t stop until the unspoken of code of silence is gone away with and forgotten. According to Curry (2012), in 2007 Officer Anthony Abbate jumped over a bar, and repeatedly beat on the bartender after she said he had too many drinks and refused to give him anymore all while being filmed on their surveillance tape. When police officers were called to the scene, they failed to mention that the attacker was indeed a police officer with the Chicago Police Department. During their research, they noted that after the attack, over 200 hundred phone calls were made between Police Officer Abbate, fellow police officers and also supervisors. Officer Abbate was arrested, charged and convicted of felony battery and was later fired. During the investigation, text messages between Abbate and a fellow officer, showed that Abbate

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.

One of the issues that are affecting the future of policing is corruption. Corruption is generally defined as fraudulent and dishonest actions by public officials with power. This is the same for law enforcement as their corruption is an abuse of their authority for private gain while under duty. This improper conduct usually begins as police deviance. Law enforcement officers with such behaviors are not socially accepted yet has led other officers, especially rookies, into engaging in criminal activities.

Protection of illegal activity is when a drug dealer or someone running a brothel house will pay the officer off so they can keep there illegal business running and to protect them from other law enforcement. Opportunistic theft is yet another typical crooked act many police officers execute everyday. This is when police officers steal from arrestees, victims of crimes, or dead bodies. Furthermore, it is very rare to hear about police corruption. This is because most police departments want to keep known police corruption in-house since these acts are displaying a disservice to the community they are suppose to serve and protect. Additionally, the main aspect of police corruption that makes it difficult to solve and stop is the Blue Code of Silence. The code is an unwritten law or rule that pronounces if a police officer witnesses a fellow police officer preforming a corrupt act he will not report him and keep his mouth shut. Most police departments have an us-against the world mentality, which means if a officer reports another officer he is going against the whole departments. Whistleblowing or reporting misconduct is looked down upon and often times these police officers get suspended and mistreated from their colleagues. The forms of police corruption, relevance, and the Blue Code of Silence are major features that make police corruption into what it is today.

With the past and current issues our country is having with law enforcement officials the ethical deliberations about corruptions is constantly examining the foundations of police ethics. The reasoning following public corruption indicates an underlying social institutional structure that our country has created. In 2006, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were convicted of racketeering, extortion, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and murder charges. Louis and Stephen worked in the NYPD police department; however, they were actually working for the Lucchese crime family mafia. In 2001, Joseph Miedzianowski worked as both a police officer and a drug kingpin; therefore, he used his knowledge from both sides of his work to shake down drug dealers. From 1972 until 1991, Jon Burge oversaw the torture of hundreds of African American men with radiators, cigarettes, and electrocuted their testicles; therefore, in order to assure Chicago police department could get their confessions. During Hurricane Katrina Robert Gisevius, Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso members of the New Orleans police department murdered an innocent sixteen-year-old James Brissette under a bridge. Situations like these are highly publicized and often lead the public to doubt our countries police department members. Corruption of ethics and morals within a police department is destructive, and can have a crippling effect on the police department’s organization. When an organization experiences a

Corruption in law enforcement is not victimless and creates a negative perception of the United States legal system.

In Edwin J. Deltarres' book Character and Cops he explores three hypotheses for police corruption in the United States. Some are somewhat historical, but they are still relevant to the problem of corruption today. The first hypothesis is called "the society at-large" theory by former Chicago Police Superintendent O. W. Wilson. Wilson was superintendent of the Chicago Police Department during the early nineteen sixties. The second hypothesis is called the "structural" theory. The third is called "the rotten apple theory." I will provide a brief analysis of the three hypotheses in this essay and examine which one(s) is valid today.

Corruption in law enforcement has been active since the beginning of this occupation. Certain characteristics of policing have changed throughout its years, but corruption is not one of them. In actuality, this phenomenon has increased significantly throughout its years. We are seeing more and more officers being arrested now. These arrests do not include the hundreds of officers that have not been caught. Police corruption can generally be defined as using one’s authority and power as a police to gain and benefit illicitly (Wilson et. al, 1977). Some officers become corrupted as early as the academy or as late as years into their career. Many are not even aware that the acts they are involved in are forms of corruption. Some acts may

My memorandum is to address the issue of police corruption within xyz organization. Over quite a period of time, my investigation has revealed that police corruption has become a significant problem in this particular organization. We have substantial evidence supporting that members of xyz organization have been participating in protecting illegal activities, receiving payoffs for their cooperation with said activities, extortion, etc. These activities were highlighted as being corrupt behavior by Barker and Roebucks in 1973, and are one of the earliest typologies in this arena (Payne, 2012). These types of activities violate the trust that the public has placed in the members of xyz organization. It is commonly asserted that

In 1994 a report by the Mollen commission on police corruption in New York exposed disproportionate corruption within the department. Violent crime, including gang type activity, cops in uniform routinely storming drug locations and stealing narcotics, money weapons and whatever they felt like taking. On duty police officers riding alongside drug dealers, providing protection while the dealers carried big amounts of drugs and cash. The commission also found cops who became drug dealers themselves starting up their own drug dealing networks and delivery centers. (Neighborhood Explanations) Although most officers are honest and hard-working, the Mollen report exposed serious, violent activity by some in the department.