Police Misconduct

Although most police officers perform their duties responsibly some do not. In most instances integrity is not an issue. Police officers take their vow to society seriously. Consider the dilemma of average police officers. The job entails issuing traffic citations to citizens who try to talk their way out of a ticket, dealing with prostitutes who feel hassled by police, and drug deals feels that it is their right to do what they are doing.

Officers regularly encounter personal hostility that is consistent and are often vocally rejected by society. Officers often receive relatively low pay which makes them feels as if their work is not valued. By looking at these combinations it is easy to understand how officers acquire a jaded attitude toward the society they are sworn to protect. The low pay may be a critical part of the corruption mix. The law enforcement oath of honor, "to never betray their badge, integrity, character, or the public trust is all too often neglected.

Police misconduct is a complex phenomenon, which does not readily submit to simple analysis. It is a problem that has and will continue to affect us all, whether we are civilians or law enforcement officers. Since its beginnings, may aspects of policing have changed; however, one aspect that has remained relatively unchanged is the existence of corruption. One might ask, how do we stop police corruption? Some suggest that raising pay, better police hiring and training practices, and integrity testing will put an end to corruption.

Raising pay would help officers be better equipped to handle their financial obligations. It is suggested that some level of corruption occurs because officers have unmet financial needs. Integrity testing is also important to reducing or eliminating corruption. It serves as a very viable detterant because officers never know when they are being watched. The integrity testing could also be used during the hiring process to weed out the bad seeds during the hiring process.