The purpose of this paper is to discuss the topic of police corruption. It will consider the nature of police corruption and the extent of the problem as well as the various possible causes for it. It will additionally provide case examples regarding police corruption that have appeared in news articles in recent years. Finally, the paper will consider suggestions for possible remedies to the problem of police corruption.
Police corruption has been defined as the "misuse of authority by a police officer in a manner designed to produce personal gain for the officer or for others" (Carter and Stephens 6). Corruption in this sense can take on a variety of forms. For example, an unscrupulous officer may indulge in corrupt practices for the purpose of financial gain. In another instance, an officer may engage in corruption in order to cover up a serious mistake made in the line of duty which could bring about public shame or perhaps even removal from the force. In recent years, a great deal of attention in the mass media has centered around the relationship between police corruption and involvement in drug abuse or drug trafficking. However, there are many other ways in which a police officer may be involved in corruption. These may include bribery, robbery, racism, rape and murder.
Using the case of drug abuse as an example, it has been noted that even if a police officer indulges in drugs for purely recreational reasons, it is clear that the potential for corruption still exists. The reasoning behind this statement is as follows:
An officer must obtain the drug before which means that there is some contact with a pusher or intermediary. The transaction opens the door to corruption, in that once the officer's identity is discovered, the pusher will have a lever that may be used to press for favors or information from the officer (Carter and Stephens 6).
However, far greater concern has been leveled against police...