Police Corruption In The United States

Police corruption is when law enforcement abuse their power for either their own personal gain or some other kind of gain like departmental or political gain. It is when they break the very laws and ordinances they are supposed to be upholding and enforcing. It is a very broad term that covers falsifying evidence, soliciting or accepting bribes, disregarding criminal behavior they know is taking place and all sorts of other forms of misconduct. Police corruption dates back to the 1830s when organized police departments first started to form in the U.S. From the 1830s to the 1930s was known as the “political era.” This was a period when political groups had a major impact on police departments and corruption among police officers ran rampant. Influential people in local government would establish the police
In 1954 there was another case that involved a Brooklyn Bookie who testified that he paid the NYPD $1 million a year for police protection, which is equivalent to about $9 million a year today. The investigation of that case led to 300 resignations, 22 indictments, and 10 convictions. Included among the people who resigned were Mayor William O’Dwyer, Police Commissioner William O’Brien, and Chief Inspector August Flath. Since the 1930s there has been many cases involving police corruption. Known as one of the most corrupt cops of all time is a man named Jon Burge. Jon Burge worked for the Chicago PD as a detective and a commander from 1972 and 1991. He led the area 2 midnight shift for CPD. As a commander, he knowingly supervised and oversaw the torture of over 100 African American men and women to coerce confessions out of them. Him and his officers used torture methods such as electric shock to the genitals, burning, plastic bags over the suspect’s/victim’s heads to deprive them of air, as well as beatings, use of cattle prods and mock executions involving guns. They would also handcuff them to stationary objects without any food or water for days at a