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Taylor Wood

Dr. Whitener

EN 101

16 September 2019

Police Corruption in the United States

According to The Washington Post, police officers are arrested 1,100 times each year

(TheWashingtonPost). Police officers are supposed to be the people that one sees at the end of

the tunnel when trying to escape from unsafe territory into a tranquil territory, but this virus, this

corruption, is going to be the reason why nobody is going to want to turn to police officers when

legal issues arise. The corruption of the police force in the United States of America is becoming

supremely more rampant as the days go by. Yes, this may seem atypical, but it is a matter that

American citizens must acknowledge and understand. Some components of police corruption are

rape, shootings, and bribery.

Police corruption is a concept that must be understood by the citizens of the United

States, and sexual assault is one of the reasons as to why it must be understood. In the podcast s-

town, the host was told by a man from Woodstock, Alabama that there was a police officer that

would pull over innocent women, making it seem as if it were just a routine traffic stop. This

officer would sexually assault women. The mere fact that this officer believed that it was morally

okay to sexually assault innocent, powerless, guiltless woman is extremely stomach-churning.

Officers were sworn-in into duty saying that they would serve and protect, but it seems as if

some officers are going against this idea. This is morally sickening; the protectors of citizens are

becoming vastly more infused with this malicious power. These officers are abusing their power
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so that they can overrule women. This power is like a virus that is slowly taking over the police

force, and one of the symptoms is sexual assault. This virus is obliterating

the moral compass of these officers. This system-something that is crucial to society- is

something that needs to remain intact. In Oklahoma City, an officer by the name of Daniel

Holtzclaw was accused of sexually assaulting thirteen African American women during routine

traffic stops (democracyjournal.org). This power, this corruption, is beginning to negatively

change the morality of the police officers in the United States. Absolutely nobody in this country

should be worried to call emergency services, but this virus is allowing for citizens to feel a

sense of fear when a police officer walks up to someone. Sexually assaulting anyone is an action

that police officers are supposed to prevent from happening, not partake in. Not only is rape one

of the components behind police corruption, shootings are also another symptom of this virus.

When one hears the phrase “police corruption” they probably automatically think of

police related shootings. According to The Washington Post, there have been 660 people that

have been killed by police officers in 2019 alone, and this number is just going to keep on

increasing at the year goes on. This information alone can deter anyone from wanting to call the

police for their protection because they are more than likely worried about getting shot by a

police officer. This virus is going to be the cause of some sort of governmental tyranny. This

idea is absolutely horrifying. No one at all should be nervous to call the police. This is supremely

upsetting, and it is going to destroy the safety barrier that everyone is entitled to have. This

repugnant issue is going to be the downfall of the safety of the United States. A Hudson County

prosecutor says, “Two Jersey City men were shot multiple times by police late Monday after the
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pair were setting off fireworks” (newsweek.com). This is absolutely horrid. These men were just

shooting fireworks during a time when it is acceptable to shoot fireworks- 4th of July weekend.

These men were just partaking in normal activities, which resulted in them being admitted into a

hospital so that they can be treated for gunshot wounds. According to newsweek.com, three of

the police officers discharged their weapons into these men. One of the individuals was 19 years

old, and the other individual was 21 years old. These people are so young, they should not be

worried about being harmed by the supposed “protectors” of this country. Not only are shootings

one of the components of police corruption, but bribery is also another component.

According to the Webster’s Dictionary, bribery is the act of persuading someone to act in

one’s favor. According to The Washington Post, “a D.C. police officer accepted $15,000 in

exchange for providing someone with confidential information from traffic incident reports”

(TheWashingtonPost). This is not acceptable by any means. These “protectors” are supposed to

be trusted with the confidential information that they have access to. These officers are trusted by

not only the people of America to maintain confidentiality, but from higher up officers.

Confidentiality is one of the easiest concepts to follow, but an incentive can challenge that

concept. This is extremely sickening. The morals alone of policemen should allow for them to

not partake in any sort of bribery whatsoever. According to WWJ News, “A 19-year veteran of

the department allegedly took $15,000 from a drug trafficker” (wwjnews). Police officers are

supposed to be keeping drugs away from the citizens of the United States, but it seems that there

are officers out there that are indifferent to that idea, and only care about monetary gain rather

than their own morals. This is genuinely upsetting. The corruption of police officers is going to

force people that are not police officers to take legal matters into their own hands, and that is
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supremely unacceptable. Police officers are there to take away crime, fear, etc. but it is no longer

like that. Officers are committing crimes, and evoking fear in individuals. No officer should ever

put monetary gain over human safety. This appalling idea is happening all throughout the United

States, and it is upsetting. No one should be even a little bit scared to call the police, but these

immoral actions are making individuals feel a sense of fear when the idea of police pops into

one’s head. If all a criminal has to do is offer an officer cash in order to get out of legal issues,

then that is extremely terrifying. When officers are sworn into service, they swear to serve and

protect, but this idea seems to go in one ear and out of the other with some officers. These

officers are extremely selfish, not caring for anyone else but themselves. These officers swear to

protect others to the fullest extent, but it seems that this is not holding true whatsoever.

Accepting a bribe from a criminal eradicates the idea of serving and protecting others. This

should not be happening. This component can be up there with shootings on how immoral it is.

Due to all of the shootings, bribery, and rape, police corruption is on a drastic rise in the

United States. Absolutely no citizen of the United States should be a victim of this corruption. It

is extremely upsetting that this a problem that the United States faces, atop of a myriad of other

issues. Police officers should be the people that are supposed to help suppress the issues the

United States already has, not create new issues. This corruption is infecting the core of the

United States and is allowing for these citizens to feel a sense of terror when the word “police”

comes into mind. The idea of a police officer should evoke the sense of safety in one’s mind, not

terror.
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Works Cited

Crabbe-Field, Sophia. “The Police Who Prey on Victims.” Democracy Journal, The Democracy

Journal, 1 Nov. 2017, https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/the-police-who-prey-on-victims/.

“Fatal Force: 2019 Police Shootings Database.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Jan. 2018,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/police-shootings-2019/.

Hermann, Peter. “D.C. Police Officer, Another Man Charged with Bribery in Federal Court.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 12 June 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-

safety/dc-police-officer-another-man-charged-with-bribery-in-federal-

court/2019/06/12/6f1350d0-8c80-11e9-8f69-a2795fca3343_story.html.

Jackman, Tom. “Study Finds Police Officers Arrested 1,100 Times per Year, or 3 per Day,

Nationwide.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 June 2016,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2016/06/22/study-finds-1100-police-

officers-per-year-or-3-per-day-are-arrested-nationwide/.

Kacala, Alexander. “New Jersey Police Shoot Men Playing With Fireworks, Report

Says.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 4 July 2019, https://www.newsweek.com/new-jersey-police-

shoot-men-playing-fireworks-report-says-1447494.

Reed, Brain. S-Town Podcast. Serial & This American Life, 2017, https://stownpodcast.org/.

WWJ News, and WWJ News. “Detroit Police Officer Charged With Taking Bribes From Drug

Trafficker.” WWJ Newsradio 950, 22 Aug. 2019,

https://wwjnewsradio.radio.com/articles/detroit-police-officer-charged-bribery.