Police corruption has been a problem in the United States for as long as we have had professional police forces. There are several factors which contribute to police corruption, all of which are directly related to the way police services are organized and delivered in this country. First, the fact that policing is primarily a function of local units of government contributes to police corruption because of the corruption that often exists in city and county politics. Most experts on police corruption acknowledge that illicit police activity is unlikely to flourish in an environment of honest government. The fragmented, locally-controlled nature of police organizations also means that there is no overall "watchdog" authority with broad powers to "police the police."

Second, the fact that American police usually work with little supervision and exercise a great deal of discretion makes it especially easy for a police officer to take a bribe, steal from a burglarized store, or simply look the other way when someone else chooses to be dishonest. Third, the nature of the police officer's job is based on trust. We give police officers the power to deprive us of our freedom, search our homes, and seize our property. We trust that this power will be exercised in an honest and lawful manner, and we assume that it will be.

Fourth, we expect police officers to work in a world of crime, corruption, drugs, prostitution, and violence while remaining pure and unaffected by their working environment. We tend to give police officers the benefit of a doubt when allegations of police misconduct are made, especially when the accusers are criminals, suspected criminals, or persons with somewhat questionable backgrounds.

Finally, the police occupation is largely a closed society. Although this has changed a little in recent years, the "blue curtain" and code of secrecy still protect and hide wrongdoing by police officers. No police officer wants to turn in his fellow cop. He knows that in many situations (some involving life and death), that other police officer may be the only person he can turn to for help.

What do you think is the solution to the problem of police corruption, brutality, and abuse of authority? Given the nature of police organizations in America and the continuing public concern with crime, is it possible to reduce, not to mention eliminate, misconduct by police officers? Is it even realistic to expect poorly paid police officers working in a stressful environment to be free from at least some occasional unethical behavior? Write an essay in which you express your feelings about police corruption and what you think can (or should) be done to control it.

II. Racial Profiling

One of the most controversial issues in policing these days is that of racial profiling. Racial profiling basically means that police employ the tactic of stopping racial and ethnic minorities (primarily African-Americans and Hispanics) more so than Whites based upon the belief that minorities are more likely to be involved in certain forms of criminal behavior. Police may also stop and question minorities who appear to be "out of place," for example, walking through "White" neighborhoods or driving expensive cars. Critics of racial profiling say that it is nothing more than the employment of old stereotypes which cast minorities in a negative light, that it is an excuse for continuing discrimination and police brutality, and that it violates our Constitutional principle of equality under the law. Defenders of the policy, including many minorities, answer that it is good practice to utilize law enforcement tactics that are based on both hard data and common sense, and that are not designed, per se, to be discriminatory. After all, supporters continue, minorities stand to gain the most when police make stops and arrests based on racial profiling since most of the crime in minority neighborhoods is committed by minorities.

What do you think about racial profiling as a police tactic? Write an essay in which you explain your views, either pro or con. Have you considered both sides of the issue? To help you in your thinking, find and read the following two articles that give opposing perspectives on racial profiling:

1. "In Defense of Racial Profiling", by John Derbyshire, published in the February 19, 2001, issue of National Review, pages 38-40.
   
   
2. "Race and Policing", by Jim Leitzel, published in the March/April 2001, issue of Society, pages 38-42.