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Is Police corruption a serious problem in the USA?

Is Police corruption a serious problem in the USA?

  • Jred, I've been thinking. I think we should take this relationship to the next level.

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Jredbaron96

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Simple question. Do you think police corruption is a serious problem in the USA?
 
Simple question. Do you think police corruption is a serious problem in the USA?

No. I know it exists; when it happens and comes under scrutiny, people are outraged because they hold such powerful positions of trust. But I'm pretty sure, human nature being what it is, that most of them are honest, hard-working and dedicated to their jobs.
 
I think there might be a more covert corruption in their daily practice, with the excuse it is more practicle. For example, arrest 2, have one be witness and the other burn, with the witness going free...etc. Easy arrest and clear the cases. Might not even be the police's fault, but what we citizens expect of them.
 
It's hard to say for sure. In areas such as the one I live in, I highly doubt it. In urban inner-city areas, I wouldn't be surprised.
 
It is a serious problem, not because we have especially bad cops, but because there is not enough accountability. The most significant problem isn't thefts and bribes, it is arrogance and disrespect for the community, especially by officers with poor anger management skills.

The lack of accountability is because too many politicians are scared to challenge police unions because they need their donations and endorsements. When there is a system that keeps the police accountable, it is often because activists used lawsuits and/or ballot measures to have accountability measures enacted.

Another source of the problem is that there are often incentives for police corruption, such as the drug laws and/or the laws that allow the police to use assets seized from suspects. The federal government's trend of encouraging police militarization (through Homeland Security grants and other measures) also tends to separate the police form the community, making them more like an occupying force in many neighborhoods.
 
I think corruption is rampant in America, but not just the police, not even just the penal system. Unions are corrupt, gov't agencies are corrupt, our politicians are corrupt, many of our religions are corrupt. Problem is that power and authority creates a climate of corruption that humans seem unable to resist for the most part, regardless of the purest initial intentions. Surely some individuals are above and beyond in all these categories, and more, so this is a generalization of humankind.
 
No it isn't. I have learned so much about how police officers operated even just 50 or 100 years ago that there is simply no way to say that we are corrupt now compared to any other time in history.

And no job is going to have zero abuse/corruption in it. We work hard to limit it to the very best of our abilities. And we do good at this.

The public demands more and more from the police as well, while believing what they see on TV or in the movies. I even wrote papers on these things. Look at Lethal Weapon. Murtaugh is constantly getting onto Briggs about shooting to wound rather than killing. IRL, that is never a good policy. But people still set that expectation of police and expect police to follow it or they crucify the police. "Why did you use that force level when we <the public> believe that you could have subdued that person with less?" The public believes that they are experts on what police policies should be and how to best handle criminals and get politicians to "agree" with them, holding the police to a higher standard than is reasonable, in many cases.

Now, sure there are bad cops and even bad policies in LE. But even then, we see the bad ones being focused on and held up as "examples" of every cop, leading to the ones trying to actually enforce laws and protect people are taking the heat for it.
 
Simple question. Do you think police corruption is a serious problem in the USA?

Maybe corruption in the cities, but not otherwise. On the other hand, the militarization of police all over the Nation has led to more shootings of unarmed civilians than is tolerable. The local police forces now think that they are under Federal control and that is not good.
 
I don't think corruption at the police level is all that bad. Sure it exist some, but not that big a deal when compared to the corruption of the political system that "creates" the laws that police are forced to enforce.
 
I think corruption is rampant in America, but not just the police, not even just the penal system. Unions are corrupt, gov't agencies are corrupt, our politicians are corrupt, many of our religions are corrupt. Problem is that power and authority creates a climate of corruption that humans seem unable to resist for the most part, regardless of the purest initial intentions. Surely some individuals are above and beyond in all these categories, and more, so this is a generalization of humankind.

Please, excercise some caution here. Your Power of Positive Thinking is overwhelming ... Just teasing ! Just teasing ! ;)

Your final sentence may be appropriate. :peace

Pleasant eve, Summer

Thom Paine
 
Please, excercise some caution here. Your Power of Positive Thinking is overwhelming ... Just teasing ! Just teasing ! ;)

Your final sentence may be appropriate. :peace

Pleasant eve, Summer

Thom Paine
I know reality sucks. That said I'm surprisingly upbeat person considering how dark and cynical and.... my opinions and perspectives of reality can be.
Hugs!
 
I know reality sucks. That said I'm surprisingly upbeat person considering how dark and cynical and.... my opinions and perspectives of reality can be.
Hugs!

I have actually noticed that of you

Hugs back, Hon

Thom Paine
 
the corruption in a society starts from its judicial system and police forces l think
 
the corruption in a society starts from its judicial system and police forces l think



I personally think it starts from the ground up, with the general population. A generally corrupt society will have corrupt officials.
 
the corruption in a society starts from its judicial system and police forces l think

Considering most societies didn't have actual police forces or police at all until really a century or two ago, yet we have had corruption as far back as recorded history, I'd say that government is more the cause than police or the judicial system.

Justice until very recently was extremely corrupt, since there was no formal organization to it and/or it was handled by military forces or private groups (such as religious sects or families of victims) or by politicians.

History of Law Enforcement - Police History

We do much better today with preventing corruption than we ever did in the past, and we continue to get better. Unfortunately people continually raise their expectations for LE and the justice system with every single new advancement in LE or forensics or science/technology in general. And people as a whole have many faults. It would be pretty impossible to remove all corruption from any system, but especially one with power such as law enforcement or the justice system in general. The best thing is to continue to strive to do so as best we can.
 
I personally think it starts from the ground up, with the general population. A generally corrupt society will have corrupt officials.

but what made the society corrupt ?
 
but what made the society corrupt ?

The reasoning ability of its people as a whole.

If people feel free to justify illegal actions, based on how they feel, or on what they want, they will readily become corrupt. The legal system is a response to how the people are, and how they are expected to act.
 
Only in areas where other government agencies are getting caught at it as well. For the most part, no
 
The police themselves are not nearly so much the problem, as is the politicians who make the law and set policy.
 
Is Police corruption a serious problem in the USA? - Any corruption in our justice system is serious.

The flaw within our justice system is the same flaw that plagues many other aspects of our lives. That is the people that are in a position of authority are largely acting in self interest and often times acts of corruption can propel them to some fulfilled desire.

I believe the system is very corrupt and dishonest it is all about the degree of that corruption and dishonestly. I know from my personal experience with the system how dishonest it can be. I have had police officers flat out lie about what I said and when I said it in order to build a case against me. Luckily it did not hold up in court but the officers were never brought to question. The system is one of I'll watch your back and you watch mine.

In another instance a close family member of mine which I posted about here some time ago was a trouble maker but the police and PA were unable to bring enough proof against him to convict him of a crime so instead they charged him with a crime and then would let that charge expire without bringing it to court. They did this three different times I believe hoping he would not be able to bond out and remain in jail thus removing him from their hair. If he had been unable to bond out he would have spent 3 years in the county jail awaiting a trials that would never have happen.

Our system seems to be one of "find someone guilty of the crime" and it doesn't necessarily have to be the guilty party as long as they have someone punished for it. Personally I feel that anyone wrongly convicted and it can be proven that they were wrongly convicted then the PA should serve part of that sentence. Picking up innocent persons and then prosecuting them without absolute proof should be a felony imo. If we let these sort of conviction continue to happen what is stopping it from happening to you? You could be picked up today for a serious crime you know nothing about and spend the rest of your life in prison because of a over zealous system that just wants to convict someone.
 
I think it varies quite a bit form one area to another.

And if corruption has entered the system, it tends to grow unless directly confronted.
Some forms might be more...benign....not really causing significant harm, but still there.
 
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