Despite the various avenues through which police practices are monitored, there are occasions when officers step outside the law.

Deviant police officers pose trouble for many groups. Among other things, the problem police officer stains the reputation of police officers in general. They give their department a bad reputation. And, problem officers fail to provide fair protection for the citizens they’re supposed to serve. Yet, the autonomy given to police officers and the hidden nature of much police work make it difficult to detect the problem officer.

This article examines a process by which unethical policing can be addressed early on, which is significant, given the messages sent by a department’s failure to address unethical police behavior in a timely manner. Permitting corrupt officers to continue their unethical ways without detection sends a message to the officer and other officers that corruption goes without recognition and punishment. It also suggests to the public that the police department has limited means to monitor its officers, or it simply doesn’t care. Permitting police corruption may also lead to corrupt officers becoming bolder, and perhaps engaging in higher levels of corruption.

Police accountability comes primarily in two forms, external and internal. Internal forms include the presence of an effective internal affairs division; proper recruitment, selection, and training of officers; peer or coworker pressure; and legislation and department policy that dictates officer behavior. Externally, civilian review boards and citizens reporting deviant police behavior are prominent among the means of police accountability. Despite the various avenues through which police practices are monitored, there are occasions when officers step outside the law.

Early warning systems provide police administrators the ability to assess officer behavior over a period of time. The additional record-keeping and analyses involved with the data consume precious police resources; however, there are benefits to removing unethical officers as early as possible. In a litigious society such as ours, where filing lawsuits has become increasingly common and easy, early detection helps police departments proactively identify officers who pose risks to the community.

Most officers abide by the laws they enforce. There are a few, however, who sometimes give policing a bad name. Police administrators often face difficulty in determining the legitimacy of questionable police practices. The nature of police work is such that questionable police practices, at their most basic level, often involve the officer’s word against the complainant’s. Occasionally, there is concrete, visible evidence (or a lack thereof), so decision making on behalf of police administrators is simplified. The discretion inherent in policing in which officers constantly use their decision-making skill, and the volatile and dangerous nature of police work dictate that problem officers be identified and reprimanded, trained, or released quickly.
Though today’s police officers are more professional, better trained, and better educated than at any other period in history, accounts of police misconduct will likely continue but undoubtedly at an much reduced rate. Continued developments in the field of policing, such as early warning systems, will certainly reduce the likelihood of corrupt policing.

Assigned Article 2

DeCrescenzo, D (2005). Early Detection of the Problem Officer
. FBI Law Enforcement, Vol.74, 7.