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Ethical issues in police corruption
Police and ethical issues
Ethical issues in police corruption
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NYPD 75th Precinct Scandal – P.O. Michael Dowd Case As American history has shown us, with great power also comes great responsibility. The great power part has not been as much of a problem as the great responsibility has. And as history have shown us, many of those officers show great control and responsibility, but there are a small percentage of those officers who are corrupt. The job of a law enforcement officer sometimes can be tough. Officer are sometimes plagued with situation that test their ability to enforce the law and maintain order. Police officers today face a constant battle to maintain higher ethical standards. This mission becomes tougher each day when one considers the importance of fighting terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, …show more content…
For example, in his article “Fighting Police Corruption”, Krauss states, “The 911 call could hardly have been more routine. A man wearing a denim jacket and fatigue pants was reported to be selling drugs outside a housing project in southern Brooklyn. Two plainclothes officers responded to the call on a mild night last month, frisked the man and found $400 under the seat of his bicycle. But finding no drugs, the police let him go. The officers were unaware that they had just taken "a walk on the dark side": police talk for an Internal Affairs Bureau sting. The "drug dealer" was actually an undercover officer wired for sound, and the interchange was videotaped from a van parked a block away to see if the officers would rough up the supposed dealer or steal his money. These officers did neither”. Sting operations like this one are a central part of the Police Department 's efforts to overcome the damaging corruption scandals that engulfed the 75Th Precinct in NY between 1986 and …show more content…
Dowd becomes a patrol cop in Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct, in East New York in 1983, and within a year, he formed a crew of cops that began robbing drug dealers. In 1986 known on the streets as ‘’Mike the Cop”, he began charging drug dealers as much as $8,000 for protection. And also, He began to participate in kidnapping of drug dealers and sold stolen drugs on Long Island. In 1988, NYPD Internal Affairs Sgt. Joe Trimbole began to investigate officer Dowd, but he didn’t receive enough support from the New York Police Department to prosecute him
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 cooperation agreement with prosecutors, the former NYPD detective’s bombshell testimony, described in detail the police culture of the Brooklyn South and Queens
In 2005 NYPD Detective, first grade, James E. Griffith called internal affairs to report he was being pressured by a fellow officer to lie and take the blame during an internal inquiry for the mishandling of a homicide investigation by his unit (Goldstein, 2012). Another detective and union official claimed in his deposition that Griffin was a rat because he went to internal affairs instead of the union (Marzulli, 2013). According to the United States District Court Eastern District of New York’s memorandum of decision the retaliation was immediate, included adverse personnel actions and continued though out his career in different units until Detective Griffith was effectively forced to retire due to the harassment in 2009 (James Griffin v. the City of New York, n.d.). Griffin eventually filed a legal sit against The City of New York, the NYPD and two of the officers involved individually. This case study will analyze the incident, whistleblower laws and the ethical challenges involved.
During the seventies in New Jersey created a program that could change life in society. This program occurred only in twenty-eight cities. Government and public officials were excited about this concept. Police officials were not so much. Foot patrol made officers walk in sleet and snow. Assigned foot patrol was a way of punishment for officers. State funding of foot patrol shut the mouths of some people. Silence stopped after the “Police Foundation”(Kelling) put foot patrol to the actual test. To contrary belief this rattled some arguments in the community an...
Wood identifies that during the probationary period of the police officers first year on the force he or she can easily be fired for any cause. He specifically points to the fact that if a rookie police officer were to complain about another police officer’s ethical behavior the rookie police officer could be terminated. This constant threat of easy termination forces the police officers hand to fall in line with others. Consequently, during the officers first year he or she learns to shut up and do as others do. Therefore, by the end of the polices officers first year he or she is just as corrupt or ignorant to the corrupt actions of fellow officers. For instance, Mr. Wood alleged that another officer kicked a handcuffed and facedown suspect at the end of a chase (Wood, 2015). Two problem exist, the actions of the officer kicking an act of malfeasance and the failure to report the crime by the witnessing officer an act of nonfeasance. Although probationary periods are great policy, if not administered correctly an environment of corruption will easily be passed to another generation of police officers. Therefore, the lack of department policy to protect new officers from termination if reporting unethical actions was the driving factor the lead officers like Sgt. Wood to perform nonfeasance while the other officers kicked the suspect (Albanese, 2012). Essentially, police officer become ignorant of the unethical behavior
The article, “Looking Through the Gaps: A Critical Approach to the LAPD’s Rampart Scandal” by Paul J. Kaplan is about corrupt officers in the Community Resource Against Street Hoodlums special units for Los Angeles Police Department. Officer Perez pointed out seventy officers that were breaking the law. The main issue behind this scandal was that police officers was the misconduct of using probable cause to arrest suspect. They were framing innocent people when they encounter them and putting evidence next to a person when a they shot someone. Officer Mack had “convinced his girlfriend that work in at a bank in Los Angeles to help him rob over $700,000 in November 1996” (Kaplan 2009, 63). He was arrested a year later and investigators found
In the case of Manson v Brathwaite in Hartford Connecticut on May 5, 1977 an African American undercover Police Officer named Jimmy D. Glover and his informant, Henry Alton Brown were assigned to purchase heroin from the apartment complex of 201 Westland from “Dickie Boy” Cicero who was a well known narcotics dealer in the area. When identified through a photograph given to Officer Glover, seen two days after the incident Cicero was arrested on July 27 while visiting Mrs. Ramsey on the third floor of 201 Westland. This was the apartment in which Officer Glover purchased the narcotics from Cicero. The suspect was charged with two counts of possession
This led to corruption of the departmental level and an unethical subculture based on skewed officer loyalty. An example of this given in the movie when Dowd and Eurell made a malfeasant deal with Adam Diaz, an infamous drug lord. In exchange for a hefty fee, Eurell and Dowd would alert Diez whenever his underground business was being watched by the police department. Furthermore, they would assist Diaz by putting his competition out of business by tipping off the narcotics unit or robbing the competitors’ headquarters at gunpoint. Dowd and Eurell became extremely rich from their criminal exploits and they often flaunted their wealth. Dowd began forgetting to pick up his measly paycheck from the police department, but he would be seen driving to work in a shiny, new Corvette. Dowd and Eurell also went on lavish vacations that did not go unnoticed by their fellow
Before we look into the 21st century, let us remember just over 18 years when these words, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky” caused American’s to question the ethical conduct of a sitting president. On January 26, 1998, these words of denial were spoken by former President William Jefferson Clinton, Bill, and they ricocheted across this nation and riveted Americans and the world with an ethic and moral dilemma that although is long behind us, the remnants still simmer as the question remains, what is the role of ethics in our leaders. Now fast forward to the 21st century, we are facing another ethical and moral dilemma in America and that is in policing and the way police officers, who are entrusted leaders and public servants, treat the citizen’s they are paid to protect. This paper will focus on the role of ethics in policing in the 21st Century.
sense of power. Many officers around the country have been caught abusing their authority by
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.
Police are an integral portion of society as protectors. Officers are on lookout for citizens and they attempt to ensure citizen safety whenever possible. Throughout these past years however, the public and scholars are questioning the use of force, the racism, and possible corruption along with other forms of misconduct by police officers. Some scholars have claimed that many of the problems are unfortunately misconstrued by the news media and blown out of proportion; these officers are simply doing their duty and they’re jobs. Others may argue that the incidents may be traced back to the poor training and policies of these officers. Still other persons maintain an opinion that the system must be changed and that with such a rise of crime,
The use of force by law enforcement officers is sometimes required when dealing with suspects resisting arrest and/or individuals disobeying direct orders. However, when the use of force becomes excessive or is used unnecessarily, law enforcement officers are arguably committing ethical violations. (Peak, 2011) Police officers are given the responsibility of enforcing laws and ordinances to provide protection of life and property. Therefore, the ability of law enforcement officials to to cope with situations firmly, courteously, tactfully, and with respect for the rights of others is undoubtedly essential to the occupation. The duties of apprehending the most unruly of criminals is a challenge placed on the shoulders of our law enforcement professionals. During theses times the behaviors carried out by officers is highly scrutinized and upheld to both the department and
Law Library. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Law Library - American Law and Legal Information: Police Corruption and Misconduct - History, Contemporary Problems, Further Readings
In the face of this problem, the NYPD allowed corruption because the superiors were more concerned about the bad publicity that corruption generates than the disturbing consequences of corruption itself. This weak and poor approach deterred good cops from coming forward because they didn’t have the trust or respect of their superiors. Also, officers were skeptical about investigators handling informants and their ability and willingness to insure confidentiality. As presented in the movie, the investigators were ready to disclose the identity of Serpico and tried to turn the focus of the investigation towards him because he violated the code of silence when he reported the corruption to other agencies. As a result, Serpico’s superiors and colleagues turned unsupportive and even