...Police corruption is a major issue these days in policing. When it comes to corruption in the news the most prevalent type seems to be more about money. Trafficking of firearms and selling contraband. They also do private details to escort illegal goods for criminals. My article is about a retired NYPD officer named William Masso. Masso had eight other retired and active duty officers. They were trafficking contraband, firearms with defaced serial numbers and a bunch of stolen goods. They did this with the help of a FBI informant going interstate and across state lines to do these dastardly deeds. All of this began back in 2009 and span all the way to late 2011. In all Masso and his merry band of crooked cops illegally transported over a million dollars street value of assumed to be stolen goods. They used their badges and police jackets to make sure things went smoothly. They were told on high priority transports to say they were performing an off duty escort for purchased auction goods. The crime theory that best fits my article is the Radical conflict theory. The reason that I say that is because these officers were economically inadequate. So they thought that they could make some extra money on the side fast and get away with it. Some would even argue the free will theory because they had a choice and exercised their free will to go against the oath they took. This is a definitely a meat-eater situation. Masso and his crew did this over a 2 year period. If they...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
...Police Corruption The problems within our police departments Police corruption has become a very difficult and touchy topic to handle. Not only is it detrimental to the department, but it is something we can’t have in our community. Unfortunately it has become more and more common amongst the police departments in the United States. It has led to very bad cases such as crash in California and even the New Jersey state police lords of discipline. Police corruption can be easily solved, and it is very important to have programs like Internal Affairs to keep the officers in line. A lot of people feel that with the structure of our system and so many loopholes everywhere else that it may be easy for a cop to be corrupt. The biggest reason that police corruption occurs is because the officers abuse their given authority because they feel they have the power to do what they want when they want. Another reason police corruption happens is because they hit a bust on drugs and a cop likes the drugs so they take a little bit and don’t tell anyone. This not only is wrong for an officer, but for anyone to do and it gives the criminal less of a charge because they weren’t sentenced with as much stuff as they really had when busted. Police corruption falls into two different categories internal corruption and external corruption. Internal meaning it involves the people that work within the department, and external involves police contacts within the public. There are 3...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...Police Corruption: Above the Law Police Corruption: Above the Law Police corruption is the simple product of Marxian theory. In this case, the means of production are simply the power that people of the law possess and their ability to bend it to suit their own selfish desires. The cause is our cash driven society that inspires greed even in the hearts of those who are supposed to protect us. Civilians and law enforcement officers alike will continue to be effected by this problem. Since its beginnings, many aspects of policing have changed; one aspect that has remained relatively unchanged is the existence of corruption. If you look in a local newspaper, it is likely that you will find an article about a police officer that has been arrested for committing some kind of corrupt act. Officers have been stealing money from dealers and distributing drugs themselves. They are protected, hiding behind badges that they proudly display. The way to solve this problem comes from either Weber’s ideal system of nobility or Durkheimian theory where corruption would be intolerable and quickly unveiled from the inside. Citizens of the community are responsible for bringing about these changes in our society. Only with a system that rewards dedication, bravery, and ethical behavior will law enforcement be turned away from a life of corruption. Like it or not, power tends to lead to corruption. It is no surprise citizens are often shocked and outraged when police officers are exposed...
Words: 2136 - Pages: 9
...Police Corruption has been around since the beginning of its existence, though there has been a drastic reduction over the years; corruption continues to be a problem. There are many different forms to define police corruption because there are different types and different levels. Police corruption may be defined as unethical behaviors, unreasonable acts, and unnecessary force. Unethical behaviors are caused when an officer does not desire his or her position. The officer as well may show unethical behaviors when he or she did not receive enough training. Police corruption is an act or when an officer has involvement of misusing authority or gains a self-benefit. Such benefits may include benefits as profits through illegal acts. Those acts include of drugs, robberies, false imprisonment, and planting evidence (). The acts of an officer taking advantage of his or her authority may include excessive force when the force is not necessary such as beating of arrestees. There are a few major types and levels of corruptions involving gratuities, bribes, and internal corruption. These types of corruption vary on the seriousness of the acts. Gratuities, for example may be a level of rotten apples, do not harm anyone; it allows police officers to receive free meals or discounts to certain locations. Rotten apples are the lease serious levels of corruption; when a few individual officers are engaged in a situation. Many individuals believe that police gratuities are a form of corruption...
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...Police Corruption Police corruption is an issue that has been around ever since the police force was introduced. Corruption is defined as the abuse of public power for a personal benefit. It is an issue that affects the entire society and has always been very hard to control. Police corruption is continuing to increase in the United States. Newspaper and other public publications will have stories about police officers abusing their power and committing crimes like drug smuggling, prostitution, money laundering and accepting bribes on any given day. Police officers are just as likely to commit a crime as any other citizen in the United States but when the corruption occurs people often act surprised. When committing police corruption the officer will misuse their authority, abuse their power to ultimately receive a personal gain. Police corruption can be broken down into two separate categories. The first is internal corruption which involves police officers working together to commit a crime. The second is external corruption which is when police officers accept pay offs from people who the book rules or city laws. The police force is very aware that this corruption is going on and are constantly looking for ways to decrease it. The first thing the police force needs to do is strengthen the police leadership. The chief of the force along with other people in power have to make sure they are showing their concern for police corruption in a public and private matter. They also...
Words: 672 - Pages: 3
...Police Corruption Ryan Alvarado CJA/214 November 13, 2012 Richard Palomo Abstract In the history of police in the United States there always has been an element of corruption. Because the police officers themselves are human, the possibility of corruption will always be present. Sometimes it is minor but then that usually can lead to more major crimes and eventually the corruption itself will spread throughout an organization. The level and extent of corruption is difficult to determine as the crime itself is very covert. There really is no for sure solution to stop the corruption and wrong doings; however, steps can be taken to alleviate some of the criminal offenses. As long as there is police there will always be a need for those who police the police. Police Corruption In any organization that involves mankind in a position of authority there is always going to be a possibility for corruption, the police department is no different. The level of corruption will always vary, depending on the situation and the environment but nonetheless police corruption does have an effect on the United States. Of course the major offenses are of more concern, like police brutality or taking major bribes or hiding evidence, but even the smaller offense, like letting a friend out of a ticket, still show bias and dilutes the trust the public has in the police department. This paper will describe the negative effect that police corruption, police misconduct, and police brutality...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...Police Corruption and court cases are very common and prevalent. A common pleas judge reversed 53 narcotic convictions Friday which is based on investigations of police in drug units (Writer, 2013). Judge Shiela Woods- Skipper overturned convictions that were based on the testimony of former Jefferey Walker who was arrested in May as part of an FBI corruption inevestigatgion (Writer, 2013). The District Attorney in the case Robin Godfrey requested the reversals in the hearing he said afterward that he was very dissappointed to drop cases involving defendants who had pleaded guilty to drug charges (Writer, 2013). Walker was arrested after he was overheard bragging on how easy it was to rob drug dealers. Agents have said that Walker was assigned to the narcotics unit since 1999 and that he plotted with a government informant to rob drug dealers (Writer, 2013). What he wasn’t aware of is that FBI agents had been listening in on what he was doing (Writer, 2013). In one theft Walker planted drugs in a volkswagon Jetta and arrested the suspect (Writer, 2013). Walker and the informant then entered the drug dealer’s house and took $15,000 according to federal charges. Walker’s next federal case was scheduled for November. 20, at Friday’s hearing more than 70 convictions involving Walker had been scheduled for dismissal (Writer, 2013). I think that most of us know about the blue wall of silence that police use to protect themselves, and co-workers. U.S. attorney Howard Klien...
Words: 1115 - Pages: 5
...Every police agency throughout the United States has its own patrol division. The patrol division is often over looked and underrated. In almost every agency, this division is the face of the Police Department. Despite the important role that patrol officer’s play, the role often may be viewed as a low-status area of policing. It is usually the largest section of an agency; however, it receives the most agency funds. The patrol division responds to calls, provides services to the community, and helps to prevent crime. It is a physically and mentally demanding job, in which involves all facets of the policing role (Grant and Terry, 2011). Due to its demanding attention, Patrol Officers respond to a numerous of variety calls. These calls include homicides, rapes, and domestic disputes. An officer may at times be plagued with quick judgment calls, which may affect him in the long run. Community patrolling addresses the community concerns at the grassroots patrol level. As departments grow, they set realistic goals and continue to develop community partnerships. Unfortunately, one will often see patrol officers make bad judgment calls, in which can lead to misconduct issues. Criminal acts under color of law include acts within the bounds or limits of lawful authority. This includes acts beyond the bounds of lawful authority. There has been an increase in police corruption issues, misconduct, and brutality incidents within the last year. Everything from the range of using...
Words: 1354 - Pages: 6
...Police Corruption Police corruption is a complex phenomenon, which does not readily submit to simple analysis. It is a problem that has and will continue to affect us all, whether we are civilians or law enforcement officers. Since its beginnings, many aspects of policing have changed; however, one aspect that has remained relatively unchanged is the existence of corruption. An examination of a local newspaper or any police-related publication on any given day will have an article about a police officer that got busted committing some kind of corrupt act. Police corruption has increased dramatically with the illegal cocaine trade, with officers acting alone or in-groups to steal money from dealers or distribute cocaine themselves. As long as there has been a professional Police force in the United States there have been corrupt Cops. The form of corruption in early America usually took the form of bribes and brutality, not all that far from the form of corruption these days. Police corruption is defined as the abuse of police authority for personal or organizational gain. This comes in many shapes and sizes, from major drug trafficking and money laundering to looking the other way on minor everyday violations of the law. Historical cases of corruption have lead to a widespread view that all police are corrupt. One study reported that by officers’ own accounts, 39 percent of their number engaged in brutality, 22 percent perjured themselves, 31 percent had sex on duty, 8 percent...
Words: 759 - Pages: 4
...Police corruption will never be eliminated, but a significant reduction of corruption could be achieved. The first step in the reduction of corruption would be adequate training to increase skills and handling of situations by the police officer. Implementation of a stricter hiring process to pre-screen applicants and continue to weed out inappropriate candidates during intense training while addressing all avenues of policing. Officers in field training break the law on and sometimes off duty with no repercussion in regards to the law broken which can, therefore, escalate into more severe crimes committed by the officers turning into increased corruption. Promoting ethics and integrity with those unable to withhold these standards should...
Words: 292 - Pages: 2
...The police in America (The Knapp & Mollen Commission) Jarrett M. Adams CJL300.98.SP.12 POLICE & SOCIETY Professor Bill Harmening April 3, 2012 Introduction Police corruption comes at an extraordinary cost. First and foremost, a corrupt act committed by any law official is a crime. Police corruption also diminishes the integrity of the police and tarnishes the public image of law enforcement. Furthermore, corruption protects other criminal activity such as drug dealing and prostitution. Protected criminal activities are a huge threat to the community because they are able to operate with the help of law enforcement. This paper will explore the efforts put forth by the Government to control police corruption with the hopes of ridding it from society. The Knapp Commission In the spring of 1970, then New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay placed a call to Federal Judge Percy Whitman Knapp. This phone call led to Knapp’s most visible role: chairman of a five-member commission that uncovered, after many months of investigating, a pattern of corruption familiar in precinct houses throughout the five boroughs of New York. This corruption included shakedowns at bars and construction sites to accepting payoffs from gamblers and drug dealers to ignore their criminal operations. The major catalyst for the inquiry came from a series of articles in The New York Times by David Burnham, an investigative reporter who...
Words: 1469 - Pages: 6
...228-234 Police Corruption in India ____________________________________________________________________ Ravikanth B. Lamani1 G. S. Venumadhava2 Abstract Police as a Law enforcing agency is an important institution of that social control which existed in some form or the other in all society in all ages. Police is an integral part of the present day society. A society in the present set up cannot live and progress without an effective, sincere and honest police force. The Indian police have its roots in the ancient period and the present day police are the outcome of an evolutionary process. The bad things which it has inherited from the old system include corruption among policemen today. Corruption exists in one form or the other in the police system. Corruption has infected every sphere of modern life. It has vitiated the moral values of the society and the police force cannot be an exception. In fact, corruption of police is not a new phenomenon, but the irony is that the issue has seldom been seized by the organization with a sense of seriousness. In this paper an attempt has been made to discuss the various aspects of police corruption in India. The author has tried to discuss the various factors responsible for police corruption and suggest some remedies to control the corruption among policemen. The main objective of the paper is to discuss the extent, causes and remedies of police corruption and explain the extent of distrust that create against police due to...
Words: 4523 - Pages: 19
...Corruption of Florida Police Officers Name Learning Institution CORRUPTION OF FORIDA POLICE OFFICERS Police officers are law enforcement officers who are expected to keep law and order in the society by controlling crimes, investigating crimes, making arrests, patrolling streets and controlling traffics (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). They are expected to show high level of good ethical conduct such as honesty, integrity, courage, responsibility and good character (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). This has not been the case in the country. Controversial behaviors have widely been reported among the police officers who are expected to enforce the low and order. The police have been accused of violating the moral ethical values by engaging in corruption (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). Therefore this paper intends to discuss the ethical issues in regards to police officers in Opa-Locka and Miami Florida. Ethics and Corruption Ethical issues do crop up in our day to day life. In the law enforcement departments, a clear understanding of the ethics will be of greater importance since the officers are highly expected to practice good moral values in the society. Therefore, police administration and the Attorney General should ensure that officers adhere to the police code of conduct so as not to develop mistrust in the eyes of the public (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). However, ethics is defined as the study of the specific moral conducts an individual practices while relating...
Words: 1666 - Pages: 7
...The 1960’s was a time to understand the corruption that was overspread throughout the New York City Police Department. Frank Serpico could not be silenced and refused to engage in the fundamental acts of bribery and the corruption he saw day-to-day on his beat. Serpico didn’t believe in taking bribes and protecting criminals for a payout, he tried to make up for all the corruption that went on in the department only to have his fellow officers turn against him. On March 5, 1960, Frank Serpico graduated from the New York City Police Department Academy and began his career in the 81st Precinct located in Brooklyn, also known as the eight-one. Serpico’s first encounter was at a local deli near his post, where other officers demanded that the meals...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...3.3.3 Corruption: It would be truly disgraceful if the police, who assume to secure the person and property of an individual, get to be corrupted. At the point when the police work under corrupt conditions, law requirement endures and the police services turns into a guarded move as opposed to compelling law machinery. This is the most derisive reason behind custodial torture and one that is by all accounts on the expansion. At the level of the police station, various Policemen use severity to concentrate on cash from the suspects and honest persons. The legitimate circumstance and the way of proof encourage the way toward making SHO effective and giving what he does a quality of conclusion, which gives him the unintended influence to concentrate...
Words: 2012 - Pages: 9
