Corruption In Law Enforcement

The most significant problems police officers face are job stress, fatigue, violence and brutality, and corruption. For police officers dealing with stress is part of the job. Law enforcement officers are called on to serve and protect the innocent and the guilty. They must be mindful of the rights of the criminals they arrest as well as the victims the help. Police officers must follow rules and procedures they didn’t create and don’t always agree with. An officer’s hours can be unpredictable. They must be ready to serve at any time. This can make it difficult to leave work at work and can cause conflict within their families and other personal relationships. Another problem police encounter is fatigue. Rotating shifts, long hours, and always being on call can make getting enough rest difficult. Police may be required to use brute force in the line of duty. An officer must be able to discern when and how much force is necessary. Overly aggressive cops can damage a department’s reputation in a community and cause distrust between law enforcement and civilians. It can also lead to costly civil judgements.
For this reason, I believe corruption is the most difficult problem law enforcement must overcome. When officers abuse or misuse their authority it causes distrust between the police and the communities they are sworn to protect making their job more difficult. Corruption also puts a strain on relationships between officers. Officers need to trust and be trusted by their fellow officers. The blue curtain mentality makes it difficult for officers to report corruption among their peers and creates a no win