In her article entitled, “Assault under Color of Authority: Police Corruption as Norm in the LAPD Rampart Scandal and in Popular Film,” Judith Grant confronts the issue of police corruption while expressing various controversial beliefs on both its nature and causes. While Grant makes a few different claims in her article, she has two central arguments which serve as its overall framework; first, that corruption in the police force is not simply a few isolated incidences, but instead a norm which is standard in the institution and second, that the portrayals of scandal, brutality, and corruption in film reinforce the reproduction of this problem. She draws most of her support for the first claim from analysis of historic police scandals, particularly …show more content…
For example, when considering the Rampart Scandal, Grant notes that “Rafael Perez, the main snitch in the Rampart scandal… admitted to hundreds of incidences of perjury in order to attain false convictions, false arrest and fabrications of evidence” (4). Along with confessions of personal involvement in illegal actions such as stealing and reselling a large amount of cocaine from the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department’s evidence room and the shooting of an unarmed man, Perez exposes some horrifying details which point to the institutionalization of police corruption. One of these accounts elaborated on “a secret fraternity within the LAPD consisting of more than 30 anti-gang officers (the CRASH unit) wherein supervisors awarded plaques to officers for wounding or killing people” (14) and “corruption was so common…that they had standard procedures to cover-up if something went awry” (8). This record certainly represents an institution which is not as virtuous as it is often made out to be, suffused with undisclosed misconduct, some of which we may never discover. In turn, the information Perez provides forces even skeptical readers to view police forces in a new light, shifting their opinions …show more content…
One of these films is Cop Land, a “classic Hollywood scenario in which a few bad cops are balanced with a good one who upholds the “true” meaning of being a law enforcement officer” (15). Grant criticizes the fact that the film focuses on the noble, heroic police officer and downplays the components of corruption. Another film reviewed is the Negotiator, in which the main characters, “officer Danny Roman and Special Agent Chris Sabian represent the ideal of the good cop. They may break laws in order to gather evidence and get bad guys, as they do in cracking this case, but they are all about justice” (15). This example upholds Grant’s claim that films tend to reinforce the pattern of discounting unlawful police activity, as through its plot it suggests that breaking rules can be acceptable, and even advisable, in some circumstances. Through the analysis of popular Hollywood films, Grant is able to provide convincing evidence for her claim about the role of film in the reproduction of police
Police corruption is a practice of illegal and unprofessional behavior for improper reason to achieve approved goals by their officers. “The Seven Five,” documentary looks at police misconduct at Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct during the 1980s. The documentary turns into a narrative feature combined of interviews with key investigators, Michael Dowd, and Adam Diaz a deported Dominican drug dealer. Police Officer Michael Dowd explained his rogue activities during his assignment at rid the City of narcotics traffickers. Instead, he enlisted the services of other officers who began robbing drug dealers of their money, drugs or guns, or going into business with them to distribute narcotic and weapons. Dowd identified his formative years at the Department as laying the groundwork for his corrupt
In a recorded conversation, Williams told Adams he could protect his drug operation, but he needed to bring his partner in on it. In 1994, Davis and Williams provide Adams police protection. The informant Terry Adams delivered about 7.5 kilograms of cocaine to a FBI undercover agent, each officer was paid $500 per kilo. May 4, 1994 two cops, Adams and undercover FBI agent Juan Jackson posed as a New York drug dealer named ‘JJ” he made everyone strip to show that they were not wired.” The cops agreed to hire a uniformed New Orleans police officer to protect the large quantities of cocaine for three days. Davis recommended
We will examine the case of NYPD Narcotics Detective Frank Serpico, who was regarded as a snitch and a rat by fellow officers who were on the take, and complete a what would you do dilemma. Serpico's original intent was not to be a "whistleblower" within the Department, but rather all he wanted to do initially was to be a Police Officer and not accept any bribes, payoffs, or favors as a result of his professional position within the community (Petit, 2011). As a consequence of his testimony before the Knapp Commission in 1971, Serpico was ostracized by his peers as a deviant for being conscientious; ergo, although it cannot be proven, it is believed that he was ultimately set up to be shot during a drug raid in which he was seriously wounded. To this day, Frank Serpico questions why fellow cops never called in a code 10-13 officer down after he took a bullet in the face on Feb. 3, 1971 (McShane, 2012).
Police Subculture and corruption are two of the many concepts that are portrayed in the move Serpico, staring Al Pacino. Frank Serpico dreamed about being on the force since he was nine years old. His dream would than come true soon after by graduating from the police academy and then becoming an officer for the New York Police Department in the late 60’s. It didn’t take long after, for Frank to realize that his dream would soon become his nightmare. Frank would soon discover that the loyalty and trust that comes with the uniform was only apparent in his dreams and imagination. The subculture that was created between the officers was something that didn’t interest Frank in the slightest way. In fact, Frank took many measures to put an end to
The beating of Rodney King from the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991 and the Los Angeles riots resulting from the verdict of the police officers on April 29 through May 5, 1992 are events that will never be forgotten. They both evolve around one incident, but there are two sides of ethical deviance: the LAPD and the citizens involved in the L.A. riots. The incident on March 3, 1991 is an event, which the public across the nation has never witnessed. If it weren’t for the random videotaping of the beating that night, society would never know what truly happened to Rodney King. What was even more disturbing is the mentality the LAPD displayed to the public and the details of how this mentality of policing led up to this particular incident. This type of ethical deviance is something the public has not seen since the civil rights era. Little did Chief Gates, the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, and the LAPD know what the consequences of their actions would lead to. Moving forward in time to the verdict of those police officers being acquitted of the charges, the public sentiment spiraled into an outrage. The disbelief and shock of the citizens of Los Angeles sparked a mammoth rioting that lasted for six days. The riots led to 53 deaths and the destruction of many building. This is a true but disturbing story uncovering the ethical deviance from the LAPD and the L.A. riots. The two perspectives are from the Rodney King incident are the LAPD and the L.A. riots.
As a newly promoted Lieutenant in charge of jail operations in the Houston Police Department (HPD), there are several critical issues regarding the jail environment that require immediate attention such as, inadequate conditions of confinement, health care, security measures, and sexual misconduct between correctional officers and inmates. The aforementioned issues are a controversial topic all across the U.S. and it usually attracts media attention and creates negative publicity towards the Department of Corrections. A lieutenant of jail operations is responsible for his or he shift and oversees multiple areas of the jail facility. Responsibilities of a jail lieutenant includes but is not limited to the following: (1) coordinate shift activities;
Police: Breakdowns that allowed corruption are still uncorrected, study finds. The chief concedes that mediocrity became a way of life at all levels of the department. The Los Angeles Police Department failed time and again to take steps that might have headed off the worst corruption scandal in its history, according to a sweeping self-indictment prepared by the department's own leaders. In a letter accompanying the long-awaited Board of Inquiry report into the corruption centered in the department's Rampart Division, Police Chief Bernard C. Parks called the scandal a "life-altering experience for the Los Angeles Police Department" in which corrupt officers took advantage of lax supervision to carry out criminal acts. "We as an organization provided the opportunity," Parks wrote.
Goodman, B. & Dewan, S. (2007, April 27). Prosecutors Say Corruption in Atlanta Police Dept. Is Widespread. The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/us/27atlanta.html
The documentary “Policing the Police,” by PBS, assists in providing insight into problems facing the city of Newark, New Jersey, and its police department. The documentary displays the opinions of both the police officers and the people of the communities on the most pressing crime related issues in the city and the solutions to them. The variety of perspectives that documentary provides is very informative and forces the viewer to look at the problems of police brutality in a more complex manner rather than black and white. Ultimately, the documentary exposes the failure of the Newark Police Department to work effectively and the solutions new leaders are beginning to implement.
Police corruption is a difficult issue cities have to deal with and one of the oldest problems in the police force. Corruption can be defined as the mistreatment of public power for personal benefit or private and the use of excessive force, either emotional or physical. In this essay I will explain in detail federal indictments of Los Angeles County Sheriff officers for mistreatment of jail inmates and visitors. Another topic I will explain is the transfer of Los Angeles County Sheriff hired officers with questionable background. Finally, I will end by analyzing the hiring of new Sheriff deputies under the “Friends of the Sheriff” program.
One large factor that fuels police brutality is the media. The media is constantly showing the world what police officers are doing wrong. The book “The Politics of Force: Media and the Construction of Police Brutality”, is a book where author Regina Lawrence does an extensive study on how the media ties in with the formation of police brutality. Lawrence analyzed more than 500 incidents of police use-of-force covered by the New York Times and in the Los Angeles Times from the year 1981 to 1991. Lawrence informs readers of the structural and cultural forces that both shape the news and define when police use excessive force. Lawrence claims that police brutality incidents occur in greater numbers than those that are reported. She also explores how media is obtained, so the public can see a new perspective on policing policies. Journalists decide whether one story makes it to the news if the issues and events need light shone upon them. If it were not for the media, many issues and events would go undocumented, as police and elected officials would rather leave them unexposed. Lawrence also shows how a news event involving the police can become a tool for isolated social groups to gain access to the
For years police corruption has been a major problem in American society but where is the line between moral and unethical police corruption, many modern movies address this vary issue. Some films portray how types of police corruption can have a positive influence on society, while others show the dark side of police corruption. Many law enforcement agents join the criminal justice with the basic idea of “justice for all,” however, most of them do not realize that the nice guy doesn’t always win. Even though there are vast amounts of movies which specifically address police corruption we will use three main movies for our argument today, mostly LA Confidential, however, also Training Day.
Martin, Rich. "Police Corruption: An Analytical Look into Police Ethics." The FBI Enforcement Bulletin May 2011: 11+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
Police corruption is a nationwide problem that has been going on for many years. Not only is corruption a problem on our own U.S. soil, but police practices of corruption go as far east as Europe and Asia. Many studies, polls and examinations were taken to find out how exactly what the general publics’ opinions of the police are. Officers receive a lot of scrutiny over this issue, but for good reason.
It is important to keep in mind that not all police officers are bad, just like not all accountants or lawyers are bad. Police officers have constant contact with all kinds of individuals and with the opportunities that are available; corruption is one type of fraud that police officers may commit. Bribery is a type of corruption, which is stated as “public officials and private persons, respectively, abusing entrusted power for personal gain”(Boles, 2014). In other words bribery can also be described as conjuring a payment to an individual so that the paying party has some unfair advantage (Rohlfsen, 2012). This essay is going to focus on cases of police officers that have accepted bribes to protect illegal operations such solicitation and prostitution in the United