Monday, April 1, 2019

The problem with Management of Police Corruption

The problem with Management of jurisprudence CorruptionIntroduction constabulary depravation is a problem go about m either an(prenominal) global law en ragement systems. Most countries argon faced with challenges of transaction with corrupt constabulary women and men who undermine en pressurement of the law. Police depravity involves acts of muff aimed at obtaining personal benefits, financial progress or advancement in cargoners which argon per turned in exchange for selectively pursuing or non pursuing an arrest or investigation (Peter 74). on that point ar mevery gos of constabulary subversion and ane of the most common is acceptance of bribes in pronounce to ignore arrest or investigation of certain fell activities. In the US, this form of decomposition is seen where nonionised crime such(prenominal) as prostitution or drug activities are concerned. A nonher common form of legal philosophy corruption especially in the US is flouting conduct and procedures t o gain conviction of a suspect. This may take the form of falsifying differentiate which implicates a suspect. In rare cases, police participate in deplorable activities.Most law en phalanxment agencies do non state statistics of police corruption due to fear of loss of usual support for the force in rubbish crime. However, it is acknowledged that police corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to fighting of crime. It is even harder to fight organized crimes since in more cases police officers clear payment to protect the miserables. In countries such as Mexico, fighting drug use is a serious problem since most police officers are corrupt and protect the drug lords. This paper will evaluate poli8ce corruption, the forms it takes and separate recommendations which should be implemented in order to end the vice and come across equal application of the law. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end.Forms of police corruptionThere are various forms of police corru ption which are witnessed in the police force. These will be briefly discussed at a lower placeOpportunistic theftsThis is a form of police corruption where officers engage in theft whenever they see to it an opportunity which facilitates the same. This is a major challenge facing the police force since it is ticklish to prove opportunistic thefts by police officers in courts of law. An precedent of an opportunistic theft may occur when officers rec everyplace stolen property or money but intentionally undervalue it in order to halt some for themselves. Others may arrive at accident scenes or mar scenes and purloin valuables from the injured or dead. In certain cases, police officers steal money or valuables from stack they arrest. such forms of corruption are nasty to prosecute since in most cases there are a few(prenominal) if any witnesses who witness the crime (Roleff 16-18).Protection of illegal activitiesProtection of illegal activities is one of the greatest challe nges facing established law enforcement agencies across the world. There are many police officers who are involved in protecting perpetrators of organized crime and in many cases, such officers realise high authority. This makes it knockout for junior officers to arrest and prosecute such offenders (Jerome 8). Organized crimes such as sale of drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and gambling ordinarily thrive due to surety from police officers. Usually officers are offered cash incentives or some separate benefits which compromise their principles. In yet other cases, police officers are either blackmailed or threatened with harm to their families or themselves in order to guarantee their rampart of illegal activities. Such forms of police corruption are too difficult to prove in a court of law since organized criminals are usually intelligent and hide their activities very efficiently. Police officers who protect them withal make prosecuting such criminals very difficult .Corruption of authorityThis is a form of corruption which involves the reception of free meals, drinks and gratitude from people the police are mantic to serve. This form of corruption may or may not be originally be intended to corrupt the police officer. manytimes the universal gives officers free gifts as a means of appreciation for services rendered. However, over time, this culture leads to corruption in the police force since officers feel oblige to serve people who reward them more efficiently than those who do not (Punch 53-58). Some corrupt individuals may in addition use such gifts as a means of blackmailing officers to perform specific services which may not be lawful. numerous police departments welcome outlawed the reception of gifts of any form by police officers from the people they serve.Direct criminal activitiesThere are cases where law enforcers including policemen instanter establish crimes which they are supposed to prevent. Such police officers commit crimes while disguised as civilians and this makes it difficult for other law enforcers to arrest and prosecute them. Police officers have sophisticated develop beyond that possessed by ordinary civilians and they are likely to achieve along little evidence when committing crimes which creates a challenge of prosecuting officers who engage in crime. Some officers have also been known to lend their weapons or uniforms to criminals who may commit crimes which masquerading as police officers. Other collaborate with criminals to commit crimes especially crimes involving thieving of large sums of money such as money escort services. Police officers who commit crimes are usually sacked fro the force and prosecuted as civilians. However, as was previously mentioned, their knowledge of handling weapons and gathering evidence makes tracking and prosecuting such officers difficult.Sabotaging criminal casesThis is a serious form of police corruption which involves directly sabotaging evid ence or court processes in order to ensure that a particular suspect is found not guilty and released. Some officers muck around with evidence gathered or intentionally do not celebrate rules of gathering evidence in order to ensure that suspects are released on a technicality. Other do not attend court sessions when summoned in order to ensure that there is inadequate evidence against a suspect. In extreme cases, officers have been known to aid the escape of suspects from custody. All these are serious offences since they undermine the justice system and prevent guilty people from existence prosecuted for crimes committed.Solutions for preventing corruption in the police forceThere are various recommendations which may be useful in discouraging police officers from facilitating or engaging in criminal activities. These will be discussed belowLegislationLegislation is one of the most effective deterrents to crime. Harsh fines and sentences usually deter criminals from engaging i n criminal activities. This form of deterrence also applies to corrupt police officers. Heavy punishment and fines against police officers who are turn out to be corrupt in court will act as deterrent to other officers who are considering engaging in criminal activities. Legislators should pass laws which encourage stiff sentences to officers who engage in corruption. Local police departments should also develop tough policies which discourage corruption against police officers. These policies should encourage the venting of officers who are found to have engaged in corruption at any level. This will encourage officers to follow their code of conduct and come upon equal application of the law to all.Effective remunerationIn many countries, police officers are underpaid and they are compel to work in grievous conditions with little or no incentives. In fact, many officers are otiose to cater for the basic needs of their families on their income alone and they are forced to supp lement their income with income from other activities. This is one major factor which encourages police corruption. Many officers engage in corruption due to an inability to sustain their families with the income they gather (Tim 31-37). They are forced to engage in illegal activities in order to supplement income. Effective remuneration of officers including adequate allowances will reduce their motivating to engage in corruption and it is likely to reduce cases of police corruption significantly.Sensitizing police and the publicPolice and the public should be modify on the adverse effects of corruption in the police force as a long term origin to police corruption. This is the most effective solution to the problem of police corruption. The police should be cognizant that corruption goes against the oath they took and that it destroys the fabric of alliance. They should also be aware of the consequences of being caught practicing corruption. The public should also be made aw are of the harm caused to society by collaborating with corrupt police. They should understand that corruption within the police force makes society unsafe and causes an upsurge in criminal activities (Prenzler Ransley 78-83). Community policing should be encouraged and communication avenues given to the public to report corrupt police women and men.Recording contact with publicRecording contact between officers and the public is very effective in reducing corruption. Many officers are unlikely to engage in corruption if they are aware that their actions are being recorded. This is an effective strategy which has worked well in the US where police cars have cameras which record contact between such officers and the public. However, it must be notable that this is not a very effective long term solution to corruption in the police force since police have devised other methods of practicing corruption away from the glare of the camera. It must also be say that such recordings are usually effective when police officers are dealing with relatively minor offences such as traffic offenses.Summary and refinementPolice corruption has been seen to be a serious problem modify society. Although there are few statistics on police corruption, the effects of police corruption are clear to all. Various types of police corruption have been discussed and these include opportunistic thefts, protection of illegal activities, corruption of authority, direct criminal activities and sabotaging criminal cases. These forms of corruption lead to an increase in crime and few prosecutions of criminals. Solutions to the problem of police corruption include legislation, effective remuneration, sensitizing police and the public and recording contact with public. Once these recommendations are implemented, cases of police corruption will drastically reduce.

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