Free «Police Corruption» Essay Paper

Introduction

Police corruption is referred to, as the abuse of police power for personal benefit or to gain advantage for the police association. Police dishonesty can take the form of a diversity of criminal behaviors ranging from actual payment of serious criminal such as money laundering and drug trafficking to instances where officer will “look the other way” when an individual commits a minor daily violation of the regulation. Some police corruption may engage overlooking crimes done by friends or family. Police dishonesty may also entail depriving people of their lawful rights. Corruption may entail profit or material advantage gained unlawfully as a consequence of the officer's power. Typical types of corruption include extortion, bribery, receiving or fencing embezzled goods and involving in drugs deals. The word also refers to prototypes of misconduct within a known special unit or police department, especially where offenses are continual with the acquiescence of officers or through other continuing failure to rectify them (Criminal Law Lawyer, 2011).

 

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The federal administration’s Department of Justice is accountable for handling cases of officer corruption at all county, local, state, and centralized levels of action. This also entails police corruption that occurs in prisons and jails. Laws in opposition to police corruption cover all individuals within the United States, including non-citizens and citizens. When an individual feels that they have been the casualty of police dishonesty, they can file a grievance with the Department of Justice that will initiate investigation over the case. The Department of Justice has the power to file criminal and civil charges against law enforcement corruption offenders. Federal regulation also considers it police dishonesty when associate of a police force or a police association discriminates against a person or a group of people based on their gender, sex, color, race, national origin, sexual orientation or religion. Discrimination on the basis of disability may also comprise police misconduct and corruption. Through both civil and criminal statutes, federal law purposely targets police misdemeanors. Federal law is enforced to all county, state, and local police officers, including those who job in correctional facilities. The main federal criminal statute makes actions illegal for anyone working with police power to deny or conspire to deprive another individual of any right secluded by the Constitution or regulations of the United States (Klockars, 2008).

The administration considers it law enforcement corruption when one or more people acting “under the color of commandment” willfully try or succeed in denying another person or people of their lawful rights. “Color of law” entails using the power of their police position even if the acts surpass the officer’s rightful authority. It is also regarded police corruption; when officials engage in a prototype or act of depriving another human being or group their constitutionally and lawfully protected rights. The police corruption and misconduct governed by these laws can comprise: illegal stops, the excessive use of power; sexual assault; arrests, or searches; intentional fabrication of data, and any other act that consequences in the loss of freedom or rights to another (Manalili, 2003).

Conclusion

In addition, to law enforcement corruption that does damage to individual citizens or groups of inhabitants, police dishonesty can also entail external violations like: accepting inducements from citizens who routinely violate non-criminal decrees or ordinances such as traffic laws; accepting enticements by those who infringe the law in order to get money such as drug dealers, prostitutes; accepting cash in exchange for police protection or services. Other instances of police dishonesty can include embezzlement, fraud, extortion, nepotism, and the actual commission of lawbreaking crimes. When an individual or group is convicted of law enforcement corruption, they can face imprisonment, restitution, heavy fines, cancellation of their badge, and much more.