Police Corruption Research Paper

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

Copland is a crime movie about the corruption of police in New York city. It all started with one incident with a officer who shot two African American teens because he felt threatened. This resulted in other officers bad decisions and ultimately ended some people's lives. The way they resolved these problems was by one sheriffs good intentions and investigation skills. It brought to justice the wrong doings of these police. When he did want to do something about it he decided to go to Internal Affairs investigator, but was pushed away because he didn't say anything when he was first asked about it.

Capitalism is a social system based on the principle of individual rights. Politically, it is the system of laissez-faire (freedom). Legally it is a system of objective laws (rule of law as opposed to rule of man). Economically, when such freedom is applied to the sphere of production its result is the free-market. Capitalism might not be a perfect system, but it is not that evil. There is evidence proven that capitalism has helped the U.S. become the wealthiest nation. The primary concept of capitalism is totally devoted to the creation

In the Michael Moore documentary Capitalism a Love Story examples what capitalism is and how it hurt so many citizens. Capitalism is a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are used to make and transport products are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government. The documentary teaches viewers the impact that big corporations have on americans. At the beginning of the film Moore is showing middle class people get there houses taken from them because of capitalism.

Police in America began as the night watch system that protected cities from crime, fire, and disorder. Of course early policing was influenced by the British, and so was American Law which derived from English common law. This would also form a correlation to American policing policies that diverged from the English’s Magna Carta and as well the French. The French established a centralized government that entailed men to take an oath of loyalty. The police in America started as night watch groups, then employment changed to police officers being political appointed which was very corrupted, but throughout the years things changed again to serve the public. Instead of a political selected police force that earns it’s pay through bribes and

Veronica and I decided that one of the best criminal justice issues to research would have to be police corruption because everyone has experienced some form of police corruption in their lives. Even if they do not know it, due to the fact that they do not have the education level to understand what police corruption is. From a legal perspective police corruption has to do with the violation of law by police officers. According to some articles it claims that police corruption has to do with deviant, improper, dishonest, unethical or criminal behavior by the police officer. The research question has to do with police corruption and where it comes from, by the standing point of the community. We feel that this issue is important because, without

"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.”

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.

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

When people think of or discuss issues within policing in the United States, one of the main topics that has been around for as long as the police have, is corruption. Police corruption has been defined as the abuse of police authority for personal gain ("Police Corruption and Misconduct." West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. 2008. The Gale Group 4 Dec. 2017) . Corruption can be as limited as one officer, or can be group of officers as well. There is the rotten apple theory, which attempts to explain police corruption and where it comes from. While all corruption fits under abuse of authority, there are different ways in which the police can be corrupt. Corruption can fit many different scenarios and situations, from drugs,

Capitalism is the ideology of a market economy, where most production and forms of the economic system were privately owned. There was an idea of liberty and freedom that went along with the ideologies of capitalism which sent rushes of fear to the possibility of what the U.S.'s understanding was of the absolute

that they should not have to deal with is when a situation comes up with one of their

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.

What they do or fail to do can affect seriously the span of the damage to life, property, and community spirit. Police officers are required to take an oath when they first join their department. The police oath is a code of ethics. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics establishes the basic responsibility of a police officer is and I quote: “As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality and justice. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession…law enforcement.” These are the expectations of the citizens, and when they are abused it threatens the faith of all. The most recent case raising unethical questions may be the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, an unarmed black male shot down by police officers. Another reason might be the rise in reports of suspicious deaths of inmates in custody making headlines across the country. These type of situations bring up difficult questions regarding the limits of police authority, are there some inequalities in the way that law enforcement officers treat certain racial, socioeconomic, or cultural groups? Are the factors, such as whether a citizen is ethnic or white, poor or Middle class, making a difference in the type of treatment one is likely to receive from the

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).