Frank Serpico Essay

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Recommended: Conclusion of police corruption

Serpico (1973) is a movie that reveals the true story of Frank Serpico who was the only honest cop in the New York police sector at his time. The film shows the realistic view of the corruption that was evidenced in the New York police and highlights the character of Frank as being honest and courageous. Although he started as an inexperienced cop, he later worked as an undercover officer and was determined to bust all the criminal activities especially the drug dealers and pushers. Unlike the other cops, Serpico refused to take any bribes from the wrongdoers. More so, he felt that the other officers were doing wrong by accepting bribes and wanted to expose the situation. The other officers were so corrupt that they collected more money through …show more content…

In the midst of the widespread corruption, he took a firm stand and refused to accept bribes like his colleagues. The character helped Serpico to fight against the vice and expose the wrongdoers. He also tried to persuade the other cops to take his stand by being the role model though this jeopardized his life. Instead of the cops emulating him, they turned against him and refused to support his efforts (Schoell, 2016). The position of Frank Serpico was beneficial to the nation since it helped to fight corruption and expose the crimes being conducted by both the citizens and the …show more content…

The problem that faced the security sector is the lack of a good atmosphere in which honest officers can perform their duties freely without threats from the fellow officers. Frank worked hard to reverse the situation in which the dishonest officers fear and respect the honest officers. This position changed the situation in the New York police department. Corruption reduced in the department and the dishonest police officers stopped performing the vice openly. The government also enforced laws that promoted justice in the sector, and the police officers who took part in the corrupt activities were subjected to severe consequences. The government attention marked the start of the situation which Frank had wished for whereby the dishonest officers feared those who were honest. Consequently, corruption was viewed as an offense rather than a tradition as it was

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