Effects Of Corruption On Police Departments

The impact of Police corruption on police departments and society
Police corruption affects the police departments, and society. There are many reasons why the corruption of the law affects the citizens and other police personnel that are only trying to do their jobs. Police corruption can be defined as the misuse of police authority for personal gain. Personal gain in this context means anything gained though illegal practices. Police corruption can ruin the public’s confidence in police, and the departments in which they serve and protect.
The public’s confidence in the police is a very important aspect of society and the law. Police personnel need the citizen’s confidence so they can perform their duties effectively. If the public is seeing
During the late 1990’s the Rampart Scandal occurred in Los Angeles, CA. The scandal involved allegations of police misconduct, which led to over one-hundred convictions being overturned and the firing of twenty polices officers, some of which were convicted of criminal charges. The Los Angeles police department (LAPD) attempted to minimize the crimes to a group “bad apples” not organizational issues. The LAPD already had a long history of police misconduct throughout the department, but by arresting one corrupt police officer for bank robbery it opened a wide door of corruption within the department. Many officers were exposed for stealing drugs, brutality, rejecting citizens from due process rights, murder, and planting evidence. The department went through many changes after the scandal. The LAPD Chief formed a board that focuses of management issues and looked in depth into the scandal. Other boards were formed that focused on the theory that officers need to be supervised more. The LAPD’s CRASH unit was dismantled. CRASH was focused on apprehending gang members. They in turn created what they believe was more effective units to control gang activity. LAPD lost a lot of money in court due to so many people suing the department for the scandal and the trauma it caused the victims and their families involved. The LAPD was also exposed for covering up the scandal, and showing the
The public’s confidence in the police varies greatly between races and countries. The media can affect the public’s opinion on the law, but also what they show can be framed and not the whole story. The public’s perception of the police also stems from what the people see on television and who they identify with. Perception is also based on class. People with more police encounters tend to not have confidence in the law. Police personnel needs the confidence of the people to perform their jobs effectively. With so many variations of how the public views the police, it seems hard to find an even ground with everyone so the police can do their jobs effectively. The police departments also have their issues that need to be addressed. If corrupt police officers are being sworn in, then they will corrupt the streets. It’s important to establish a good confidence with the people and polices officers and make sure corruption possibilities are limited and handled correctly by the officers, departments, and the