NCJ Number
80119
Date Published
1976
Length
219 pages
Annotation
This review discusses the characteristics of literature on police corruption; the theory of political corruption; definitions and typologies of police corruption; the extent, costs, and impact of police corruption; historical and theoretical approaches to the problem; social and organizational settings; and established recommendations for control.
Abstract
Although the volume of literature on police corruption is large, the content is limited. Reminiscences from both the past and the present, general historical accounts, and unsupported opinion constitute a high proportion of the published material on the subject. Thus, knowledge about all the variables which contribute toward the creation of a corrupt environment and at what point administrative controls stop reducing and start inducing corruption is needed. Recommendations for future research suggested in the literature review include determining definitions used by police bureaucracies, both formal/informal and stated/implied; determining attitudes/policies toward acceptance of gratuities; carrying out a study expressly designed for field observation of the extent and form of corrupt activities; and carrying out an extensive series of opinion polls indicating citizen perception of the level of corrupt activity. Other avenues of research suggested are to use psychological tests to determine whether officers known to be corrupt have characteristic personality traits, reevaluate the 'moral career' concept using data obtained from groups of corrupt officers, and investigate managerial succession in police departments as an indicator of the relative importance of leadership in corruption control. A bibliography of over 250 references is provided. (Author summary modified)