Police Corruption in America - Research Paper Example

Police corruption is a significant problem in the United s just like in other parts of the world. It is a thorn in the flesh since the beginning of mankind that has hampered effective and efficient administration goods, services and justice. Most corruption cases in the United States are connected with drug smuggling and peddling. Most corrupt police officers accept bribes in form of money. The law against corruption carry heavy penalty in the United States and some other developed countries. However, it has not deterred corruption. However, if corruption is left to flourish, the police will lose control about everything, a lesson that Mexico learned a hard way. In fact police are being replaced by military in Mexico because they are no longer effective. Police Corruption in America Police corruption in America is wide spread across various law enforcement agencies. A number of investigative bodies in the United States have documented police corruption. Investigative bodies include; Chicago police committees (1931), Knapp Commission (1973-1973), Kolts Commission (1992) and the Mollen Commission (1993) among many others (Pollock 2011, p.173). Police corruption is perpetuated by police officers of all races, age, color and creed. Corruption is exhibited by failure to report, investigate or arrest perpetrators of illegal activities and risk committing criminal conspiracy. They can also be indicated by murders, threats, brutality, false prosecution, and falsification of documents among others as undertaken by law enforcers in a bid to hide their corrupt activities or ineffectiveness. According to Gane-McCalla (2011), police corruption in the United States is present in every city and town, including major cities such as New York, New Orleans and Los Angeles. It is public knowledge that most law enforcement agents charged with criminal corruption cases are boarder protection officers who allow smuggling of immigrants, contraband goods and drugs into and out of the United States. The corrupt police officers undertake their illegal activities simultaneously with their enforcing duties. As a result, they become ineffective because they are always at compromising situations. The corrupt law enforcement officers in the United States accept bribes in form of money, free meals, sexual favors and career advancement. Often, corrupt police officers are convicted of murder, false arrest and fabrication of evidence, extortion, conspiracy, document falsification, evidence painting, extortion, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and racketeering. For example, David Mack and Rafael Perez also worked simultaneously in LAPD Rampart division and as members of blood gangs. According to CBP (largest United States law enforcement agency), the number of corrupt police officers under investigation of alleged corruption are increasing significantly. In 2007, eight corruption related cases involving its officers were reported. However, the number increased to twenty three in 2008 indicating surge in reported corruption cases involving police officers. Since October 2004, 90 CBP officers have been charged with corruption related crimes. Currently, there are more than sixty three open criminal investigations against CBP officers on corruption related cases. CBP is also handling over two thousand in-house- discipline cases currently. In addition, According to the commission that oversees state and local law enforcement officers, officers in Texas investigated on corruption criminal conduct cases were 515 and 550 in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Forms of police corruption in the United States Police Corruption in the United States of America takes many forms and involves nearly all law enforcement agencies. The first form of corruption in the United States is protection of illegal activity. This is rampant at border points where law enforcement agents allow illegal immigration of people as well as smuggling of drugs and contrabands goods into or out of the United States. The law enforcement agencies receive bribes in the form of money, free meals and sexual favors from perpetrators. In addition, corrupt police officers serve perpetrators of the illegal activities in the United States. For example, former NYPD officers Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa protected and took orders to execute murders from Lucchese crime family. They were also hitmen and moles in the NYPD (Gane-McCalla, 2011). According to former prosecutor Yolanda de Leon of Cameron County in Texas, drug trafficker exploits corrupt officers. Yolanda pointed Sheriff Conrado Cantu as a police officer planted and used to cover up corruption and drug trafficking in his area of jurisdiction (NOJ, n.d.). Conrado Cantu was arrested and convicted in 2005, which he admitted to have run criminal enterprise involved in extorting, bribery and drug trafficking. He currently serves 24 year sentence for extorting money from drug traffickers and illegal gambling operations. Second form of corruption in the United States is operating illegal gangs that do illegal activities, especially drug trafficking and peddling. Most corrupt police officers in the United States undertake illegal activities simultaneously with their duties. The most known corrupt officer based at Chicago was Joseph Miedzianowski. Miedzianowski was a drug Kingpin in police uniform who run own drug gang. With his knowledge of law enforcement activities, he was able to shake down drug dealers. Miedzianowski is behind bars after being found guilty of ten counts including conspiracy and racketeering in 2001. The third form of corruption among the United States law enforcers is falsification. Some police officers are notorious of undermining criminal proceeding by withholding important evidence. When Gisevius, Bowen, and Villavaso killed a seventeen year old James Brissette at the height of Hurricane Katrina, they tried to falsify reports and undertake false prosecution to cover up-up the killing, which they committed by shooting him dead. The fourth form of police corruption is shake downs. The police prefer to accept bribes to pursuance of criminal violations. According to Tuchman and Wojtecki (2009), Roderick Daniels was driving from Tennessee in October 2007 through East Texas and asked to pull over by the law enforcement agent. When he stopped, he was informed that he was over speeding and was to be hauled to jail for money laundering because he was found with $8,500 in cash. The police offered to release him if he signs papers forfeiting his property, money and jewelry. Furthermore, Russell a police officer threatened Jennifer Boatright and Ron Henderson of dire consequences (separating their family) if they failed to forfeit their cash when they were stopped at Tenaha in 2007. When police corruption came into existence in the United States Corruption of police in the United States dates back to many years. Caldero and Crank (2010 p. 128) stated that need for police reforms to stem out the vice started in late 1800’s. Corruption is often tied to local political titans. Influential people in the society, especially politicians who often hire people loyal to them to assist them win election through fraud. Why it still exists The blue code of silence prevents other officers from exposing corruption activities by his fellow offices. Fear of the unknown is another factor that fuels police corruption in the United States. When Frank Serpico refused to take bribes, he was branded a traitor by colleagues and faced humiliation retaliation. Serpico, the champion of police integrity nearly died when he was shot on the face at point blank range during drug bust. Despite being shot, his fellow colleagues failed to issue ‘police down’ call and no one was investigated concerning the shooting incident. The third factor that contributes to corruption police departments is high level of corruption among superiors. Police chiefs and supervisors deny allegations that their police are corrupt. For example, Tenaha mayor George Bowers shield the police for protracted allegations against them. Furthermore, Lynda Russell Shelby County District Attorney denied all impropriety allegations against their police. According to the Attorney, Texas law allows police to confiscate personal property and drug money if they are used to commit a crime. However, money and property need to be refunded when an alleged person is acquitted or no charges are filed against him or her. Measurement to prevent corruption in America There are a number of initiatives that have been undertaken by the states and individual police officer to eradicate the corruption menace in the United States Police. Many commissions have been formed to investigate and develop recommendations on how to stop and prevent corruption rot in the United States police. They are Knapp Commission, According to Caldero and Crank (2010 p. 128), Ahugust Vollmer emerged as the patriarch of police professionalism in 1920’s. He worked with International Association of Chief of Police to revamp the police system and make it effective and efficient by rooting out corruption. He and other international police bosses committed to improving hiring standards by ensuring that recruits were devoted to public interests. Pollock (2011, p.174) revealed that Frank Serpico is a famous police officer in the United States who when he joined the police in 1959, decided to practice police integrity and professionalism. He was saddened when his colleagues took bribes, especially involving the store workers. The store owners paid bribes to enable police respond quickly when they fall into insecurity issues and also ignore minor violations of store owners and workers as well as their customers. In an action aimed at removing the corruption rot in police, Frank Serpico talked to supervisors about corruption levels in the police, but supervisors did not act. Finally in 1970-1971, Serpico and David Durk a fellow officer went to New York Times to participate in exposing police corruption. Due to exposure, the State took notice and established Knapp Commission, which carried out wide-spectrum investigations exposed police corruption. In fact, Frank Serpico despite being shot for refusing to be corrupt he testified in the Knapp Commission. References Caldero, M. A. & Crank, P. J. (2010). Police Ethics: The Corruption of Noble Cause. (3rd ed.). London: Elsevier. Gane-McCalla, C. (2011). The Top 5 Most Corrupt U.S. Police Officers of All-Time. Retrieved September 28, 2011, from http://newsone.com/newsone-original/casey-gane-mccalla/top-5-corrupt-police-officers/ NOJ (n.d.). Corrupt Police Officers of United States. Retrieved September 28, 2011, from http://nationalorganizationforjustice.weebly.com/corrupt-officers-of-united-states-law-enforcement.html Pollock, M. J. (2011). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice. (7th ed.). New York: Cengage Learning, Tuchman, G. & Wojtecki, K. (2009). Texas police shake down drivers, lawsuit claims. Retrieved September 28, 2011, from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-05/justice/texas.police.seizures_1_police-officer-highway-robbery-personal-property?_s=PM:CRIME Walker, S. and Katz, M. C. (2010), The Police in America: An introduction. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Appendix Table 1: List of Corrupt officers Convicted for Corruption Cases in Various States Name ID Area Name ID Area C.Warren G241 Baltimore, MD C. Bullock 1426 Montgomery County, MD Milton Snead G414 Baltimore, MD W. J. Peacock 0959 Montgomery County, MD A. Williams F625 Baltimore, MD W. Kellog 2227 Montgomery County, MD N. Cunningham E999 Baltimore, MD O. Bromley 1185 Montgomery County, MD Jack Atkins H177 Baltimore, MD D. Wenner 1385 Montgomery County, MD T. R. Blasko E912 Baltimore, MD K. Strange 1372 Montgomery County, MD Gregory Hellen G800 Baltimore, MD F. Graves 1279 Montgomery County, MD Dwight Thomas C132 Baltimore, MD R. Sheehan 2137 Montgomery County, MD Manny Moro F944 Baltimore, MD P. Muollo 2129 Montgomery County, MD Konstatantin K. E732 Baltimore, MD T. Tippet 1375 Montgomery County, MD A. Dugas 316 Bladensburg C. E. Haak 9325 Montgomery County, MD S. Carr ID 0346 Frederick County R. Jacobs 248 Sheriff for Prince Georges County, MD S. Davis 4102 District of Columbia R. Aceveds 290 Sheriff for Prince Georges County, MD B.Pellecchia 2077 Montgomery County D. Dillard 280 Sheriff for Prince Georges County, MD A. Groveman 2312 Montgomery County, D. W. Badge D2-202 District of Columbia L. Brumfield 1333 Ann Arundel County C. Shannon 1826 Prince Georges County H. Hoppee 1717 Ann Arundel County W. Watts 1959 Prince Georges County, MD Sources: NOJ(n.d) Read More