Blue Wall Of Silence Essay

Although, investigators determined that bruising on the elderly woman were consistent with rape, therefore, she must not have been telling the truth (State v. Bridges, 1992).
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the testimony of four individuals, three of which were found to be informants paid by police officers in exchange for their testimony at the trial. The fourth individual was a Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Crime Lab technician who erroneously testified as an FBI-trained hair analysis who wrongfully concluded that the hair found at the crime scene was, in fact, that of Timothy Bridges. The defense brought in two expert fingerprint analysts who testified that a bloody handprint found at the crime scene couldn’t possibly be that of Bridges or the victim, Modine Wise. After the conviction, to help cover any investigative wrongdoings that may have occurred in this case police officers illegally discarded the rape kit and hair fiber evidence that was later requested to
This blue wall of silence can lend to a police culture where violations of a citizen’s civil or human rights become the norm for an officer or even for a group of officers. When loyalty among officers become the priority over doing what is right, a department may become more susceptible to deviant behaviors including violations of organizational policy, discrimination, misconduct, intimidation, sexual harassment, corruption, and excessive force. To overcome the blue wall of silence and bring change to the police culture departments require transparency and accountability of the actions of their officers. Reform in police training should emphasize such transparency and accountability, adequate supervision and appropriate discipline measures are necessary for problem officers which can aid in revitalizing the professionalism of an entire