Crime and Corruption

Honesty is a character trait that is difficult to uphold when faced with moral dilemmas in the workplace. This is the challenge of Frank Serpico in the film Serpico. An analysis of the film “Serpico” leads to the realization that “All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is completely valid. The movie “Serpico” demonstrates that the merit system and an outside agency are necessary to prevent systemic corruption within the Justice System. Systemic corruption appears to be facilitated, encouraged and protected by the “code of silence”. For example, officers are taught by fellow officers how to use the authority given to them to advance the sub-culture of crime. This fact is a matter of debate. The question of crime in police departments is often blamed on unethical officers rather than the truth of the officers who are taught by superiors and veteran officers the means of crime. The bad apples or bad system debate is expressed in Serpico, indicating the confirmation that a bad system needs an outside agency to correct it. This movie begs the question “Who was keeping an eye on the keepers of the peace among the New York Police Department?” The instrument of change in the movie is Frank Serpico making him the antagonist. The protagonists are the dark and corrupted of officers, and the supervisors who by omission participate in crime. The ideology that has perpetuated this systematic corruption is the promoting within the ranks based on who you are not what you do. In Serpico, it seems that the supervisors were very astute in the process of looking the other way. For this ability, they moved up among the chain of command. The distinct officer “code of silence” provided the cohesion that veils the subculture of crime perpetuated by the officers. In the film, Frank Serpico’s only flaw was being an honest cop. In “Serpico” the minimization and neutralization of corruption becomes the justification for the actions of the officers who

Cited: Hewitt, R. a. (2007). Exploring Criminal Justice. Jones and Bartlett Publishing. Kappeler, G. a. (2008). Policing in America. Elsevier. Serpico, F. (2010, January 24). Frank Serpico of NYPD fame carries the torch for lamplighters. Retrieved from Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/article/frank-serpico-of-nypd-fame-carries-the-torch-for-lamplighters