Police Code of Silence Facts Revealed
The National Institute of Ethics has concluded the most extensive research ever conducted on the police Code of Silence. Between February, 1999 and June, 2000, 3,714 officers and academy recruits from forty-two different states were asked to participate in the study by the Institute. One aspect of the research determined the views of academy recruits, while the other identified officers who had taken part in the code, then asked why and how it occurred. These findings mark the first time law enforcement has ever been able to learn the truth about this crucial problem. The significance of this knowledge is that if we can learn how to effectively control the Code of Silence, serious corruption cannot exist because many people become aware of a scandal as it expands.
Facts About Academy Recruits
Twenty-five basic law enforcement academies from 16 states took part in the research by administering and collecting 1,016 confidential questionnaires completed by academy recruits. The findings included that:
- 79% said that a law enforcement Code of Silence exists and is fairly common throughout the nation.
- 52% said that the fact a Code of Silence exists doesn’t really bother them.
- 24% said the Code of Silence is more justified when excessive force involves a citizen who’s abusive.
- 46% said they would not tell on another officer for having sex on duty.
- 23% said they wouldn’t tell on another cop for regularly smoking marijuana off duty.
No comments:
Post a Comment