Responses to Police Corruption - Essay Example

Responses to Police Corruption

Corruption is a dishonest and fraudulent behavior by those in power for the purpose of attaining personal benefits. Corruption includes various forms of activities such as bribery and embezzlement. Corruption can occur in different scales such as petty corruption, grand corruption and systematic corruption. Police corruption, therefore, is a form of police misconduct where the law enforcers break their employment contract with the state and engage in activities that amount to breaking the law for departmental or personal gain (Barker, 2011). This form of corruption can involve a single officer or a group of officers. Police corruption becomes a challenge to public trust, human rights and legal violations, and departmental policy cohesion. It can take forms such as accepting or soliciting bribes in exchange for not taking action against organized crime or selective enforcement of laws.

Public faith in the criminal justice system is dependent on the belief that everyone is playing by the set rules. While most of the law enforcement officers try to abide by the set rules, there are a few elements who are involved in corruption. In most cases, police corruption is always an internal affair. As a result of its internal nature police cannot be trusted to regulate themselves (Levine, 2016). It has become necessary therefore to create an outside body whose main function is to detect, monitor and control corruption in police departments.

In Bulgaria, a counter-corruption enforcement agency was created during the political stabilization in order to fill the gaps left by state security. A telephone line and a website page were established to enable the public to report complaints. The agency had the authority to prevent, control and take disciplinary action. The agency had the mandate to access corruption risk, carry out inspections aimed at minimizing corruption, reviewing complaints and implementing supervisions.

The country also introduced a new intelligence and counter-intelligence agency that operates right under the Prime Minister to ensure its independence. The agency undertook the investigations on corruption within the Ministry of Interior, particularly among the senior officers and management. The agency, however, has no powers t take any action (In Kutnjak, & In Haberfeld, 2016). The establishment of Internal Security Directorate saw a branch of the ministry of interior with the ability to use surveillance techniques to expose police corruption and take the necessary action to end corruption. The agency has the power to seek and collect evidence on ministry staff without a complaint. Traffic police cars were fitted with GPS, camera and microphones in order to record what transpires between the police and the drivers.

In the Czech Republic, Service for the Protection of Economic Interests was established. It later evolved to Unit for Combating corruption and economic crimes of Criminal Police and Investigation Service. The agency was tasked with determining the relationship between corruption and organized crimes while co-operating with the criminal police unit and investigation units. The agency provides continuing education relating to integrity and domestic corruption of the police force. Similarly, Inspection department of interior ministry was formed to deal with petty offences involving junior officers. The country has also introduced traffic light cameras sending infringements directly to the driver and therefore avoiding the contact of police and driver.

Despite have very low cases of police corruption, Denmark established The Danish Independent Police Complaint Authority to handle allegations, whether corruption or other matters, made against the police force. The authority makes the decisions on complaints of police misconduct independently of police and prosecutors. To ensure transparency the authority consists two members of general public, a high court judge who is the chair, attorney general and a professor of jurisprudence. The authority's tenure runs for four years. In Estonia, the security police board is mandated to investigate and regulate instances of corruption. The board is mandated to gather intelligence, counter-terrorism and enact anti-corruption measures.

In Europe, Greece is among the countries with the most corrupt police force. It is so rampant that monetary sums are offered to get a driving licence (Dennis, Rosenbaum, 2016). The country established Hellenic Police Internal Affairs Unit whose mandate revolves investigating corruption cases among the police including police relation with the traffickers. Greece is a member of European Partners against Corruption. The government has funded these corruption agencies but the funding does not seem to help much as the levels of corruption are deteriorating and general public losing hope.

In Latvia, the country effort to develop an anti-corruption policy culminated to the creation of Corruption Preventing and Combating Bureau. This is a multipurpose anti-corruption body whose mandate includes investigating corruption cases, controlling activities if public officials and educating and training on corruption risk. The bureau operates a pre-trial investigation with authority to refer the matters to the public prosecutor. The bureau has broad mandate though most of its cases involve bribery in police service.

Lithuania took a stance against police corruption by the creation of corruption antibodies as well as enacting relevant pieces of legislation. The country established the Special Investigation Service, a police internal department which is largely considered an independent anti-corruption law enforcement body with the recognition by United Nation Convection against corruption. The main duties of the body were to solve and prevent corruption, develop the country's anti-corruption policy, and to create a channel where the general public can report cases of corruption. The body was tasked with investigating and enforcing disciplinary actions when necessary. This measure has helped reduce the corruption levels in that country

Countries have also engaged in enacting legislation that would help in responding to police corruption. The enacted lows fall under both criminal and civil statute. In the United States, the federal laws of corruption cover the actions of a state officer, county officer, local officer and prison officers (Dennis, Rosenbaum, 2016). Department of justice is however responsible for investigation and enforcement of these laws. In Croatia, the criminal code states that a public official who abuses his office, oversteps their mandate, or fails to perform a public duty with the aim of obtaining a personal gain shall be charged criminally. In Germany, there is no specific body that is mandated to investigate and control police corruption since the levels are too low. However, the police are treated under German criminal code which covers criminal offences. Corruption is also observed as a personal crime and faces personal prosecution.

Malta has no agency or a body that is mandated to look at corruption in the police. Malta Police Force is its self-responsible for controlling corruption. However, if a member of general public submits a complaint against a junior officer, the matter is investigated by Internal Affairs Unit (Barker, 2011). Where the complaint involves a senior police officer, Economic Crime Unit will intervene, investigate and initiate criminal proceedings. To ensure the security of the society members from police corruption, the country established the Permanent Commission against Corruption. The commission deals with the investigation of alleged or suspected police corruption cases, investigating the conduct of police officers, and reporting to the minister of justice. In Slovakia, the relative rate of corruption among the police is considered low with a slight exception of traffic police. Therefore the police consist of a small anti-corruption unit which monitors the corruption within its ranks. The anti-corruption unit has a specialized criminal court on corruption and special units of prosecution.

Initially, in Slovenia, the legislation did not provide for corruption as an independent crime separated from other forms of crime. The prevention of corruption act redefined corruption totally changing the organization of policing in that country. The act brought strict limitations of powers of the police to search and seize (In Kutnjak, & In Haberfeld, 2016). The act strengthened judicial control on the police. The act also allowed the general public to file complaints against a police officer who violates their contractual obligations. The department of prosecution of individuals with authority was established which eliminated police involvement in any investigation or prosecution of their own officers.

Spain is a member of European Partner's Against Corruption released police oversight principle document with the Inspectorate of Personnel in charge of its implementation. The document set standards of policing, respect for law and human rights. The document sought to regain the greater confidence of the public in policing. It stated the accountability systems for the police and other law enforcement agents. The document sought to address victims of police misconduct. To increase understanding of police by the general public and to ensure that lessons learned from errors are observed.