Police Corruption: Dishonoring the Badge

Abstract

Police corruption has become a major issue in the United States. Although police corruption is not a new idea, it has become more and more prevalent in the modern world. There are a wide range of behaviors that can be classified as corruption, but the two major categories are internal and external corruption. Certain cases of police corruption are more widely publicized than others; there are multiple factors that can contribute to the publicity of a police corruption case. However, that does not mean that any department is immune to corruption. Annual studies look into the prevalence of corruption as related to specific crimes, this can help to show departments what areas they may need to become more proactive in their efforts to stop corruption. There are also steps that departments can take in order to help prevent corruption. Overall, officers should be chosen for the job based on their ethical qualifications in order to keep the criminal justice system running smoothly.