NCJ Number
177323
Journal
African Security Review Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 3-14
Date Published
1998
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This first of a two-part article identifies issues involved in defining "police corruption" in South Africa and presents a working definition.
Abstract
There are two major purposes in arriving at a working definition of "police corruption." One is to identify and grapple with some of the major issues linked to the concept of police corruption. By highlighting some of the key issues that expose the complexities of police corruption and the limitations of any one definition, this article emphasizes the need for a degree of fluidity in how police corruption is viewed and addressed. The other major purpose in formulating a working definition of police corruption is to obtain a tool that gives clarity to the further study of police corruption. The authors first compare the usefulness and limitations of both formal, legal definitions and broader, social definitions. The discussion emphasizes the need for an analytical approach to occupy a position that accommodates both perspectives. This is followed by a discussion of various existing definitions of police corruption. Using such definitions and examples of corrupt practices as reference points, a working definition is formulated: "Police corruption is any illegal conduct or misconduct involving the use of occupational power for personal, group or organizational gain." Thus, to be considered corrupt, an act must be a violation of South African criminal or civil law or qualify as misconduct under either the South African Police Service or traffic officers regulations. In addition, it must use either the legal or organizational powers of the police. For the second part of the article, see NCJ-177324. 44 notes