Rationalization is when a person knows when something is wrong but provide reasons to
make the nature and the action itself, seem better than it really is. The individual gives multiple
excuses that he or she do not believe. Based on their theory, Sykes and Matza stated that in order
for corrupt officers to relieve themselves of the guilt and prevent self loathing, they will
rationalize their unjust actions. In this rationalization process, corrupt officers use five different
types of rationalization techniques to justify their conduct. The first is the denial of
responsibility. (Williams Pg. 88)
According to Sykes and Matza, the denial of responsibility technique involves the officer
making excuses as to why something happened,
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Claiming that they do not truly know what it is like to be police. By the judging and
condemning the excessive, hostile force used by police, creating rules to control police work, it is
making it easier for criminals to be criminals and put more pressure on police officers. In this
case they are justifying and rationalizing using hostile, unconstitutional behavior. actions by
basically stating it is needed in order to do effective police work,. Those who do not agree do not
truly understand the reality of police work and have no right to judge. (Williams Pg. 88)
The last technique of police rationalization, appeal to higher loyalties, is when officers to
not testify or “rat out” their own. This loyalty is called the blue wall. It is difficult to get police
authorities to testify against their own, even when you have officers who do not break the laws,
or do anything unjust. Officers who condemn the same activity they refuse to testify against. The
loyalty to secrecy to other officers outweighs all the constitutional laws officers must serve,
based on Matza and Sykes’ theory of delinquent behavior. (Williams Pg. 88) “In light of
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Another way of
combating police corruption would be to requiring law enforcement to take courses in criminal
justice ethics, but this method will not be very effective. Corruption stems from personality traits
and initial upbringings of officers; how they were influenced before they became apart of the
police force. By the time an individual earns his or her police status, they have a foundation of
basic ethical training from his or her past education, experiences, and lessons taught by loved
ones. Therefore the individual already know what is right or wrong. Further education would not
help. Even if you have someone who agree with what is right and what is wrong, if there is a
clear code to ensure them not to do the unjust, unconstitutional thing, the person will avoid
corruption or doing the unconstitutional thing to avoid the possible consequences.
(Williams Pg. 97 and 99) Police corruption originates from the personality traits and the values
the individual carries. By paying more attention to these aspects and using the given combat
techniques to contour them, police corruption will be on it’s way to being
) Why do police officer perceive themselves as true outsiders, especially after many years on the job?
Monetary profit is the first thing an individual recalls when corruption in the police department is discussed, mainly because officers are subjected to enticing opportunities, such as reclamation of missing property and bribes from owners and managers of restaurants. Because of new policies and improvements regarding the department and system of selecting new officers, this level of corruption has been hindered. Currently, officers are hired because of their dedication to their principles, which makes them susceptible to the noble cause corruption theory (Dempsey and Frost, 2012)
Serve and Protect are common words associated with police officers, however some law enforcement officers taint the honor and integrity of the job. Police Corruption is a serious problem affecting nearly every city across the country and world. Curbing police corruption is a tall order; however, improving the recruitment and training process and internal controls can bring this issue to an abrupt stop.
In more extreme cases, officers may obstruct justice and lie under the oath to save themselves or a fellow officer from discipline and prosecution (Holbert & Rosa 69). Despite police not taking fault in their actions and going against the oath, it gives government official a bad reputation in the moto of protecting and serving their
With all the authority and power that is gained by being a police officer, the job is bound to attract a few individuals looking to take advantage. While recruiting, the police aim to weed out those unfit for the job and its included responsibilities, but no system is perfect. Sometimes there are officers that take advantage of the system, just like people may do in any other job.
Although that gives the report a sometimes odd tone, defending a system that it admits failed badly, it also provides for some of the document's most evident soul-searching. One passage in particular warns of the consequences when police let down their guard. "Essentially, many of the problems found by this [Board of Inquiry] boil down to people failing to do their jobs with a high level of consistency and integrity," the report states. "Unfortunately, we found this to be true at all levels of the organization, including top managers, first-line supervisors and line personnel. Clearly, pride in one's work and a commitment to do things correctly the first time seems to have
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 Country Sheriff officers use of mistreatment of jail inmates and visitors. Another topic I will explain is the transfer of Los Angeles Country 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. There are several ways police departments could take to reduce police corruption. The three areas I think should change are the training officers further in how to diminish abuse, improving personal character of officers, and incentives program.
Martin, Rich. "Police Corruption: An Analytical Look into Police Ethics." The FBI Enforcement Bulletin May 2011: 11+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
As taught in the lectures, it is impossible for police officers to win the war against crime without bending the rules, however when the rules are bent so much that it starts to violate t...
A Critical Assessment In defining police ethics, ethical policing and police ethics are not synonymous or interchangeable connotations to or for one another. Aside from establishing a police role independently from establishing any definition of ethics or police ethics, the semantics tend to complicate the defining process. Some of these complications include, but are not limited to, sociological aspects, psychological conditions, or philosophical reasoning. Examples of sociological complications include historical, political, cultural, or economic aspects. Some psychological examples include one’s ability to discern sociological implications from other implications; namely, the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, hydrophobia, or even weary dreams. Lastly,
One may ask themselves, if law enforcement officers are working to protect the public, why would they commit corruption like they do? As it is described above, corruption is a big part in the law enforcement sector of society. The entire concept is quite complex although it may seem self explanatory to many people. Learning the many types of corruption and misconduct is only the beginning, then, to understand why the officers commit the conduct for which they do. With all this, it becomes apparent to the certain measures that need to be taken to rid society and police departments of the conduct that is constantly present.
It is often said that power brings corruption, but in reality it is an individual’s lack of character, self-discipline, and integrity that leads to corruption. Law enforcement can bring many temptations on the job, and maintaining an up most level of personal integrity can often times be very difficult. The very nature of the job surrounds officers with all of the bad things that society, produces. There can be an endless amount of training and rules put into place to try and deter officers from committing unethical acts, but in the end it really just comes down to the specific individual and their willingness to do the right thing.
big problem it is only proved the police wrong when it is clear they are trained to serve and
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.
Police decisions can affect life, liberty, and property, and as guardians of the interests of the public, police must maintain high standards of integrity. Police discretion concerning how to act in a given situation can often lead to ethical misconduct (Banks 29).