Policing Corruption

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The American justice system is not as fair as it may seem. Like many other societal systems throughout history, the justice system is plagued with corruption. Able to exist within any hierarchy of responsibility, corruption is generally defined as an abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. It degrades leadership structures and greatly reduces people's confidence to rely on them. As stated in former US president, Franklin D. Roosevelt's inaugural address, "...a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory" (Roosevelt). Roosevelt emphasizes the idea that both the leader and the followers play an equally important role in carrying out a successful operation; …show more content…
Some common forms of corruption found in law enforcement include participation in bribery or extortion, prejudice, opportunistic theft, and accepting gratuities. These acts of misconduct negatively affect minority groups, other law enforcement workers, and the general population. For example, prejudice, being an opinion not based on facts, but on personal bias, often leads to situations involving racial/minority profiling, and sometimes excess force known as police brutality. In the words of Philip McHarris, a black PhD student at Yale University, who was allegedly racially profiled during a traffic stop, "quote" (McHARRIS). Another issue regarding prejudice involves female representation in law enforcement. Female officers often experience harassment and the inability to rise to higher positions, despite their qualifications (Brodeur). These instances support the idea that the same form of law enforcement corruption alone can affect both marginalized groups, and other …show more content…
Leadership is the most important thing in law enforcement. On top of that, leadership must be transparent and currently, to combat corruption, groups such as the FBI "ensure that those who swore to serve and protect the public but violate that trust face severe consequences" (Three Former NYPD). While this solution covers the punishment aspect of mitigating corruption within law enforcement, it does nothing to prevent it. Some would argue that punishment is enough, as it sets an example. However, given the profuse prevalence of corruption, society needs to take bigger steps towards making a difference. There are many ways to prevent corruption from forming in the first place. Many of these solutions involve how police officers are trained. Police officers should be trained on corruption and misconduct and how to report it. Additionally, to ensure the complete elimination of bias, officers should be required to undergo cultural diversity training before being placed on duty. On January 27, 2021, Sergeant Brandon Woodland made a comment which violated equal employment opportunity policies relating to racial
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