Police Corruption An Analytical Look into Police Ethics

Police Corruption Justin Villeneuve Nipissing University CRJS 4917 For years, we have considered any discussions of police misconduct as taboo. After all, these are the men and woman in which we, as citizens, give the responsibility of keeping us out of harms way. We all know it is present within law enforcement in some shape or form, but we ignore its relevance in the way our criminal justice system works. Assumptions of police misconduct and corruption have long been suppressed and silenced through false litigation and system betrayal. The silencing or ignorance of police misconduct acts a strengthening mechanism which those, who engage in this type of behaviour, use as a motivational tool. It is becoming a popular belief that†¦show more content†¦So what is it that creates these delays and could they be in fact deliberate? In the two cases mentioned here, Sewell provides three possible reasons for the excessive delays. The first is the understaffing of the special task force assigned to the case. The second pertains to the reluctance of the task force to proceed charges against their own. The third makes reference to the police culture that says police should stay together through thick and thin (Sewell, 2010). Sewell seems to put an emphasis on police culture and its relation to these allegations. Jerome H. Skolnick, in his article, â€Å"Corruption and The Blue Code of Silence†, offers an explanation for the reluctance of officers to proceed charges against their own. The blue code is also called the blue wall or the blue curtain. Skolnick states that â€Å"at its best, the feeling of loyalty and brotherhood sustaining the â€Å"Code of Silence† may facilitate policing and protect police against genuine threats to safety and well being† (Skolnick, 2002, p.300). In saying this Skolnick is making note of the positives that this blue code has to offer. Yet the same code of loyalty and brotherhood is able to sustain an oppositional criminal subculture by protecting those officers who chose to es cape the functions of their profession and violate criminal sanctions. Police work is often done in an unpredictable manner in which police must act on their feet knowing that one poor choice may result in drasticShow MoreRelatedPolice Subculture And Corruption Within Law Enforcement951 Words   |  4 Pagespaper will be discussing police corruption, what it means and reasons it happens. Also exploring the police subculture, what it means, why it exists and if it contributes to corruption by law enforcement. Police subculture and corruption defined. A subculture is a group of people that generally share attitudes, views, rules, principles, beliefs, ways of living, and behaviors that differs in one or more ways from the culture. 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