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Police Corruption and Democratic Policing
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
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Professor's Name
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Police Corruption and Democratic Policing
1. Do you believe that police corruption is rampant in many police departments?
Explain. (What do the statistics show? Is this perception or reality?)
I believe that police corruption is rampant in most police departments. Over the years,
there has been documentation of high-profile cases in the police department, as discussed by
Officer Dutta in the article, which makes the corruption to be systematic. I believe that it takes a
great deal of effort for police to walk away from corruption and the need to earn little off the
books. Cops are human, and it has become a habit for them to participate in activities they can
always get away with. I have a friend whose uncle worked as a Lieutenant at Dallas PD. He
played a key role in taking down six corrupt cops ranging from senior to patrol officers. It was
part of a DEA-led operation that targeted corruption during drug stings. The scheme these police
officers were running was deceptively simple. They would arrest the drug dealers and skim off
the drugs before they were gathered and logged in as evidence. Of course, police understand how
the system works, and they would easily go around it to make extra money from the evidence.
While not all police officers are bad, the Thin Blue Line keeps the good cops from exposing the
bad cops.
2. It has been said that “democracy is always hard on the police.” Why do you think
this is the case? Provide an example.
Indeed, democracy is always hard on the police as they are expected to uphold laws while
at the same time respecting individuals’ rights and freedom. They are expected to act in
accordance with laws that govern their responsibilities and guarantee citizen rights. An example
is that when police believe that a person has committed a crime and the evidence is contained in
their home, they cannot simply enter and search it based on suspicion. They are required to
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obtain a search warrant to ensure that everything follows due process. Another instance is when
controlling protests, as they are expected to maintain order and respect people’s rights to
assembly. During such a situation, the use of force is viewed as brutality and is widely criticized.
3. What points did Officer Dutta make that you agree and/or disagree with? Explain.
I agree with Officer Dutta that policing work is becoming challenging, and thus, the
media has a critical role to play in influencing public perception (Dutta, 1999). The daily
incidents of police deaths are crucial in elucidating the challenges police face in the line of duty.
Johny Walsh is an advocate of police and argues that being police is the hardest job in America
now as no one knows whether they will see their families. They risk their lives yet are paid
poorly. Thus, I agree with Dutta that the media needs to show the positive and negative sides of
police work, which will change the citizens’ perceptions.
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References
Dutta, S. (1999, October 27). Cops Aren’t Cloned in a Brutish Mold. Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-27-me-26918-story.html
Justice Network. (2015, November 10). John Walsh - Being A Police Officer.
Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHl0wN2tySQ
