blog




  • Essay / Corruption of police corruption - 809

    History has shown us that with great power comes great responsibility. The great power aspect did not really pose a problem even though the responsibility lay with the police. When officers begin their training and attend the academy, they quickly recognize the immense authority they will gain. Documented facts such as manuals and reports have shown that many officers assume control and responsibility, even though a small percentage of officers are corrupt. The corruption of these “bad apples” and even entire departments has resulted in a lack of trust in policing nationwide. Police corruption is defined as the abuse of police authority for personal or organizational gain. Corruption takes many forms and varies in severity. As mentioned above, the frequency of police corruption is less common, as activities tend to take place in secret and there are only a few bad apples. In several countries, corruption involving the police not only exists but could potentially become commonplace. A study on corruption was carried out with a particular focus on the Rampart scandal. The Rampart scandal refers to widespread corruption within the anti-gang unit of the LAPD's Rampart Division in the late 1990s. The study suggests that some forms of corruption may be the norm rather than the exception , particularly in the American police. This can be easily proven due to the great corruption that occurred during the Prohibition era, officers would look the other way to detect bootleggers and in turn received a gratuity in the form of moonshine. A more widespread example is the beating of Rodney King on March 3, 1991. Corruption was endemic within the LAPD, but it is not the only department, and corruption goes far beyond the local level... ... middle of paper... ...in the anti-corruption field, officers will likely follow suit, but officers' ethics play a vital role in how they carry out their duties as well as in their interactions with the public. In conclusion, will America ever be able to rid the police of corruption? Is it possible and plausible to force a country's law enforcement agencies to follow the same rules? Well, agencies have to follow the laws. When the department begins to spiral out of control at the local level, either state police can intervene or the FBI can send internal affairs to conduct a federal investigation into the department. No matter how many studies are conducted on different types of corruption, criminological theories cannot offer much. Various factors, such as the officer's personality, can cause him to become corrupt. We can never really stop him, it's all up to the officer.