Police in AmericaPolice in America

Chapter TenChapter Ten

Police CorruptionPolice Corruption

Definition of Police CorruptionDefinition of Police Corruption

Acts involving the Acts involving the misuse of authority misuse of authority by a police officer in by a police officer in a manner designed a manner designed to produce personal to produce personal gain for himself or gain for himself or for others.for others.Herman GoldsteinHerman Goldstein

Types of CorruptionTypes of Corruption GratuitiesGratuities

• Free meals, dry Free meals, dry cleaning,or discountscleaning,or discounts

• Receive or not receive?Receive or not receive?• Why would business Why would business

persons give gratuities?persons give gratuities? BribesBribes

• For not enforcing the lawFor not enforcing the law• Selling informationSelling information• Protecting illegal Protecting illegal

activitiesactivities

Theft and burglaryTheft and burglary• Taking money from Taking money from

people arrested for people arrested for drunkennessdrunkenness

• Stealing property, Stealing property, money, or drugsmoney, or drugs

Internal CorruptionInternal Corruption• Buying promotions or Buying promotions or

transferstransfers

Levels of corruptionLevels of corruption

Rotten apples Rotten apples and rotten and rotten pocketspockets• Only a few Only a few

officersofficers• Rotten pocket-a Rotten pocket-a

few officers few officers cooperate with cooperate with one anotherone another

Pervasive Pervasive unorganized unorganized corruptioncorruption• Majority of personnel Majority of personnel

who are corrupt, but who are corrupt, but who have little who have little relationship to each relationship to each other.other.

Pervasive organized Pervasive organized corruptioncorruption• Penetrates higher Penetrates higher

levelslevels

Theories of police corruptionTheories of police corruption Individual officer Individual officer

explanationsexplanations• Rotten applesRotten apples

The criminal lawThe criminal law• Regulation of Regulation of

activities that people activities that people regard as legitimate regard as legitimate or matters of private or matters of private choicechoice

• Regulatory Regulatory ordinancesordinances

Culture conflictCulture conflict• Conflict over the goals of Conflict over the goals of

the systemthe system

Local Political CultureLocal Political Culture• Corruption pervades Corruption pervades

other parts of other parts of governmentgovernment

Nature of police workNature of police work• OpportunityOpportunity• Low visibilityLow visibility• Officer attitudeOfficer attitude

Theories of police corruptionTheories of police corruption

Police organizationPolice organization• Quality of management and Quality of management and

supervisionsupervision• Exists because the department Exists because the department

tolerates ittolerates it Police subculturePolice subculture• Initiates officers into corrupt activitiesInitiates officers into corrupt activities• Covers up corrupt activitiesCovers up corrupt activities

Controlling corruptionControlling corruption

InternalInternal• Attitude of Chief of PoliceAttitude of Chief of Police• Rules and RegulationsRules and Regulations• Internal Affairs investigationsInternal Affairs investigations– Cracking the blue curtainCracking the blue curtain– Integrity testsIntegrity tests

• Supervision Supervision • Rewarding good officersRewarding good officers• Recruitment Recruitment

Controlling corruptionControlling corruption

ExternalExternal• Special investigationsSpecial investigations

• Criminal prosecutionCriminal prosecution

• Mobilizing public opinionMobilizing public opinion–Media Media