Providence Police Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Providence Police Corruption - Essay Example That is because the public relies on the police to uphold the law, protect the community and assist in times of need. Police are also the most visible arm of government for most citizens and a yardstick by which they measure authority. When an officer acts illegally, he dishonors both himself and the law and justice system he represent (Adams 1-14). Unfortunately, the organizational culture of the police does encourage some officer to commit acts of corruption. Such acts might involve taking monetary bribes, abusing the authority or concealing criminal enterprises. More importantly, their might also involve violation of human right or ethnic and racial discrimination. When police organizations fail to punish travesties of justice, they inadvertently foster a culture of corruption that breeds discrimination, deception and greed. In order to understand police corruption, a crime that is increased with grave social repercussions, it is necessary to analyses few basic elements, the offic er themselves. Who are the officers that police departments recruit? How are they trained? And what are the criteria for promotion? I believe answering these basic questions involves determining whether departments have procedures to do adequate background checks on recruits, psychological tests that accurately measure their suitability for police work, impartially administered written and physical examinations and training that imparts integrity and self control. Police departments in which corruption is rife generally have weaknesses in these basic areas. As a result, some of their officers have dangerous criminal tendencies that undermine confidence in law enforcement. Before directly analyzing the modern image of police corruption, it is essential to provide some context by looking as chronological images of corruption. In relation to the findings of the global literature and the official inquiries, Adams (2008) provided a number of essential observations on the corruption are p atterned within police organizations. He asserts that, on one hand that it is invasive, ongoing and not restricted by rank and is not merely attributable to only some ‘bad applies’. However, he has also pointed out that there are certain policing circumstances at the ‘invitational edge of corruption’ where inducement are particularly sensitive, including parts of the policing organization that deal with prostitution, alcohol, gambling and drugs. In the England and Wales circumstance, earlier corruption scandals have similarities to the global image painted by Adams. For example, a review by Adams (2008) paints a picture of police corruption which has a number of recurring themes in the post-war period: Criminal Investigation Department and the specialist squads (such as drugs, robbery or the vice squads) have been attributed significantly to have naturally involved groups of officers operating together, and have been reported to have involved officers from both the higher and the lower ranks. And based on their latest experiences of investigating corruption, the Metropolitan Police service primarily found themselves confronting a similar pattern of corruption, with suspect officers being respected career detectives with experience in specialist squads. Corrupt actions from across these instances; have included the protection of criminals for financial