Police corruption and discrimination

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Chapter Five

Read closely section on power and discretion (page 111)

Review Study Question: #5

Read carefully section police culture and noble cause and also section on police culture and the blue curtain of secrecy. How widespread? What can be done, if anything? What does Pollock suggest, if anything?
- Unfortunately the "blue wall" of silence is still present and evident within police cultures across the globe. Police have a de facto subculture wherein they primarily socialize with other officers outside from work, experience the same experiences and can understand how other officers react, and many officers marry other officers. This breeds a culture of us vs. them in regard to how they tend to view the public, who they mostly encounter when arresting citizens or responding to incidents. Citizens often aren't particularly happy to see officers when receiving tickets or being arrested, and many citizens express their displeasure with police. This can bring the strong bonds that exist between officers even closer to the extent that the "blue wall" of silence can emerge between officers to protect these bonds against outside forces that aren't officers.

The best way to end this type of behavior is to develop effective communication between the community and police wherein police interact with citizens in regular occurrences outside of responding to police calls or arresting citizens. This will establish a better rapport between officers and citizens wherein the us vs. them paradigm isn't the norm, and police have a more positive view of citizens as citizens also have a more positive view of police. This will lessen the subculture that exists in policing and breeds the blue wall of silence.

What is the impact, if any, of loyalty on discussions about "police corruption?"
- Police corruption and loyalty to other ...