Police Corruption: Causes and Effects
Introduction and Statement of Purpose
Edwin J. Delattre (1996, p. 68), a scholar in the field of criminal justice who has extensively studied issues related to the causes and effects of police corruption, has argued that argued that ôthose who serve the public must be held to a higher standard of honesty and care for the public good than the general citizenry.ö This view speaks to the necessity, in any society and particularly within a democratic society, of ensuring that the guardians of law and order are themselves fully compliant with the laws they are responsible for upholding. While few would disagree with this perception of the trust vested in the police departments of the United States and the corresponding expectations of ethical and moral conduct held by citizens with respect to police officers, the sad reality is that American police forces are not free of corruption (Perry, 2001).
When cases of law enforcement corruption in the current era are revealed, they come increasingly in the context of drug law enforcement (Police corruption andà, 2000). The beat cop who once may have looked the other way in Prohibition when a speakeasy let in its guests, or more recently have turned a blind eye to a floating poker or craps game, has been increasingly replaced by officers who actively engage in either protecting or facilitating the sale and transport of illicit drugs in cities such as New York and Los Angeles. More often than not, however, the authorities have tended to brush away each police scandal as an aberration at both the local and the systemic levels (Police corruption andà, 2000). Of late, this practice (known as ôthe bad appleö attribution in some circles) has met with intensified criticism. Leading to in-depth investigation of police force corruption and a proactive response to the problem (Perry, 2001).
It is the purpose of this report to examine police co...