Chapter ThirteenChapter Thirteen

Police CorruptionPolice Corruption

Police in AmericaPolice in America

© 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.McGraw-Hill

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A Definition of Police CorruptionA Definition of Police Corruption Police CorruptionPolice Corruption: A form of misconduct or deviant : A form of misconduct or deviant

behavior by police officers that involves the misuse of behavior by police officers that involves the misuse of authority in a manner designed to produce personal gain authority in a manner designed to produce personal gain for themselves or for others.for themselves or for others.

Occupational DevianceOccupational Deviance: Criminal and improper non-: Criminal and improper non-criminal behavior committed during the course of normal criminal behavior committed during the course of normal work activities or under the guise of a police officerwork activities or under the guise of a police officer’’s s authority.authority.

Abuse of AuthorityAbuse of Authority: An action by a police officer : An action by a police officer ““that that tends to injure, insult, trespass upon human dignity…tends to injure, insult, trespass upon human dignity…and/or violate an inherent legal rightand/or violate an inherent legal right”” of a citizen. of a citizen.

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The Costs of Police CorruptionThe Costs of Police Corruption

A corrupt act by a police officer is a criminal act.A corrupt act by a police officer is a criminal act. Corruption usually protects other criminal acts.Corruption usually protects other criminal acts. Corruption undermines the effectiveness of the Corruption undermines the effectiveness of the

criminal justice system.criminal justice system. Corruption undermines the professionalism of a Corruption undermines the professionalism of a

police department.police department. Corruption is a secret tax adding up to millions of Corruption is a secret tax adding up to millions of

dollars a year.dollars a year. Corruption undermines public confidence in the Corruption undermines public confidence in the

police.police.

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TypesTypes of Corruptionof Corruption

GratuitiesGratuities Free meals, dry cleaning, Free meals, dry cleaning,

or discountsor discounts Receive or not receive?Receive or not receive? Why would business Why would business

persons give gratuities?persons give gratuities? Grass eatersGrass eaters”” vs. vs. ““meat meat

eaterseaters””

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

Corruption and BrutalityCorruption and Brutality Officers bust drug Officers bust drug

dealers, steal their drugs dealers, steal their drugs or money and then sold or money and then sold drugs to other dealers or drugs to other dealers or officersofficers

““Rite of initiationRite of initiation””

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CorruptionCorruption and Brutalityand Brutality

BrutalityBrutality - new form of - new form of corruption that corruption that emerged in the 1980s emerged in the 1980s and 1990sand 1990s New York CityNew York City Los AngelesLos Angeles

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Levels of corruptionLevels of corruption

Type I: Rotten apples Type I: Rotten apples and rotten pocketsand rotten pockets Rotten apples - Only a Rotten apples - Only a

few corrupt officersfew corrupt officers Rotten pocket - a few Rotten pocket - a few

corrupt officers corrupt officers cooperating with one cooperating with one anotheranother

Type II: Pervasive Type II: Pervasive unorganized unorganized corruptioncorruption Majority of personnel are Majority of personnel are

corrupt but have little corrupt but have little relationship to each relationship to each other.other.

Type III: Pervasive Type III: Pervasive organized corruptionorganized corruption Penetrates higher levelsPenetrates higher levels

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Theories of Police CorruptionTheories of Police Corruption

Individual-officer Individual-officer explanationsexplanations Rotten applesRotten apples

The criminal lawThe criminal law Regulation of activities that Regulation of activities that

people regard as legitimate people regard as legitimate or matters of private choiceor matters of private choice

Regulatory ordinancesRegulatory ordinances Culture conflictCulture conflict

Conflict over the goals of Conflict over the goals of the systemthe system

Local Political CultureLocal Political Culture Corruption pervades other parts of Corruption pervades other parts of

governmentgovernment

Neighborhood ExplanationsNeighborhood Explanations Organizations foster corruptionOrganizations foster corruption High levels of poverty, racial High levels of poverty, racial

diversity, population turnover, and diversity, population turnover, and low levels of informal social control low levels of informal social control may lead to police misconductmay lead to police misconduct

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

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Theories of Police Corruption ContTheories of Police Corruption Cont..

Police organizationPolice organization Quality of management and supervisionQuality of management and supervision Exists because the department tolerates itExists because the department tolerates it

Police subculturePolice subculture Initiates officers into corrupt activitiesInitiates officers into corrupt activities Covers up corrupt activitiesCovers up corrupt activities

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BecomingBecoming CorruptCorrupt

The Moral Careers of Individual Officers according to The Moral Careers of Individual Officers according to Sherman:Sherman: Police officers are often all honest at the outset of their careersPolice officers are often all honest at the outset of their careers Moral career begins with minor gratuitiesMoral career begins with minor gratuities

• Peer pressure involvedPeer pressure involved• Small bribes like free mealsSmall bribes like free meals

Second and third phases involve regulatory offensesSecond and third phases involve regulatory offenses• Officer more likely to engage in these activities if he/she knows other Officer more likely to engage in these activities if he/she knows other

officers are doing itofficers are doing it Fourth, fifth and sixth phases involve more serious offensesFourth, fifth and sixth phases involve more serious offenses

• Accepting large amounts of moneyAccepting large amounts of money• Protection of certain activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking Protection of certain activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking

Corrupting OrganizationsCorrupting Organizations Initial stage involves individuals or isolated groupsInitial stage involves individuals or isolated groups Second and third stages involve all officers becoming corruptSecond and third stages involve all officers becoming corrupt Final stages involve Final stages involve ““pervasive organized corruption:pervasive organized corruption:

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Controlling CorruptionControlling Corruption

Internal MechanismsInternal Mechanisms Attitude of Chief of PoliceAttitude of Chief of Police Rules and RegulationsRules and Regulations Internal Affairs investigationsInternal Affairs investigations

• Parting the Parting the ““blue curtainblue curtain””• Proactive Integrity testsProactive Integrity tests

Effective Supervision Effective Supervision Rewarding good officersRewarding good officers Personnel Recruitment Personnel Recruitment

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Controlling CorruptionControlling Corruption

External MechanismsExternal Mechanisms Special investigationsSpecial investigations Criminal prosecutionCriminal prosecution Mobilizing public opinionMobilizing public opinion Altering the external environmentAltering the external environment

Media Media

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The Limits of Anticorruption EffortsThe Limits of Anticorruption Efforts

Anechiarico and Jacobs argue anticorruption Anechiarico and Jacobs argue anticorruption efforts have been ineffective and have made efforts have been ineffective and have made government itself ineffectivegovernment itself ineffective

Corruption persists in the NYC police Corruption persists in the NYC police department despite special investigations every department despite special investigations every 20 years20 years

However, NYC is unique and other police However, NYC is unique and other police departments in other cities have been departments in other cities have been successful in reducing corruptionsuccessful in reducing corruption