Abuse of Police Authority For years men and women of all nationalities and creed have been victim of harassment and brutality by the people who they pay to protect their neighborhoods and streets. Namely the police departments, the police have a vital role to play because they, more than any other institution, are at the epicenter of the upheavals that erupt in our cities. What they do or fail to do can affect fundamentally the scope of the damage to life, property, and community spirit. Police officers take an oath when they first join their department. This oath is a code of ethics. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, promulgated in 1893, established the basic responsibility of a police officer: To serve the community; To protect lives; To save the weak from those who would use intimidation; To obey the constitutional guarantees afforded to every citizen; To keep an officer’s private life separate from his official duty (such as personal or political beliefs, prejudices, aspirations, animosities or friendships); To be courageous and show resolve when faced with the possibility of death; The badge symbolizes not only authority, but also acts as an image of public faith; The officer will maintain confidentiality; and The conduct of the officer will always be ethical and consistent with department regulations and the law . These are the expectations of the citizens, and when there abused it lessens the faith of all. The abuse of police authority makes the head lines or front page every year. The most well known case may be the videotaping of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers. Another case might be the reports of torturing Abner Louima by New York City police witch made the head lines capturing the attention of the public. This raised troubling questions regarding the limits of police authority. Is it a coincidence that such abuse