The Blue Wall Of Silence Essay - 2214 Words

Prompt: The Blue Wall of Silence is an unwritten moral code, among police officers, that essentially states that no officer is to report any acts of deviance, brutality, corruption or misconduct that their fellow officers may commit. Those in law enforcement may see this unwritten rule as a form of brotherhood and honor. However, this wall of silence also acts as a wall of deviance, in which officers allow their colleagues to commit unlawful acts. Is there a specific line that has to be crossed to determine a â€Å"rat† from a police officer who is serving their duty and enforcing the law? Background: Michael Dowd worked for the New York City Police Department for precinct 75 for ten years and five months. Throughout his career, he committed extortion, narcotics trafficking, protection of drug operations, engaging in personal drug use, committed thefts and admitted to the courts that he had committed hundreds of crimes. At the beginning of it all, East New York in the late 80s was extremely poor and there were about 3,500 murders a year and a lot of crime. The 75 was known to be the deadliest precinct in the country, leading the city in homicides and shootings; the calls did not stop (Russel, 2015). After about a year on the force Dowd started committing acts of corruption. The first bribe he took was from an 18 year old driver who had no license, registration or license plates. The deal was to leave a few hundred dollars on the seat of Officer Dowd’s car, in exchange forShow MoreRelatedThe Blue Wall Of Silence1554 Words   |  7 Pagesany individual. Due to th e Blue wall of Silence, insufficient training, unequal application of law, police culture, and the decrease of gun ownership, police brutality is on the rise. The blue wall of silence is the biggest issue for anyone prosecuting or getting prosecuted. The blue wall of silence, is a unwritten code within the police force to cover for each other. It received this name due to the strength and nature in which it works. Police officers usually wears blue, and the unwavering strengthRead MorePolice Departments Become Corrupt When Leaders Condone Unethical Behavior Essay984 Words   |  4 PagesPolice departments become corrupt when leaders condone unethical behavior. The Standard Operating Procedures are words on paper if officers are not properly trained on and is leadership enforced. The act of â€Å"breaking ranks† and the â€Å"blue wall of silence† are realistic ethical issues that affect police departments. It is the responsibility of leaders to properly protect, control and enact changes. Detective Serpico The inner workings of a police department promote an atmosphere of uniformity andRead MoreShort Story945 Words   |  4 Pagesjust long enough to catch their breath, but with the location of their foe unknown, Phelps opened a crack in the door just wide enough to hear the silence of the empty corridor. They were alone. Their prey still alluded them, and both men burst through the doors, setting off at a sprint along the passageway. Within thirty seconds, the signs on the walls announced the beginning of Hangar G. Phelps slowed. He searched for an entrance. Then, he stopped beside one of the huge maintenance doorways andRead MoreA Reflection Of A Strong Female Voice1120 Words   |  5 PagesAlone in small dark room, a young man sits silently with only the light radiating of screens to aluminate the office. It is silence with only the sound of typing and the occasional click of a computer mouse. Suddenly on the screen the face of a light hair woman appears; the image pixelated. She speaks â€Å" Wake up shipment number 563918. It is ready now† The image is gone. He places his hand on the scanner to authorise the release of the precious cargo. A warm breath escape from my mouth andRead MorePersonal Narrative : People Need People1028 Words   |  5 Pages I begrudgingly pulled into the nearly empty parking lot that lay adjacent to my family’s store, Smith’s Dress Emporium. My nights have been spent here every night since I was a kid. The same routine every day, day in and day out. The same faded, blue and red, checkered sign, the same grey, bland store front for my whole life. The only difference is now my father isn’t around to run the place. A few months ago, He passed away.. Consequently, I am the acting owner I cut the ignition and made myRead MoreEssay about Personal Journal: On Moving and Memories of a Home745 Words   |  3 Pagesheart of the house. The cabinets were painted bright green and the walls were linen white. When me and my sister were little my mother let us decorate the walls any way we wanted with a maccaroni yellow paint. She kept it up even when we were older, vowing to never paint over it, saying, â€Å"It’s nice to remember when you were young and cute.† That is how I knew something was changing. I came home from school one day and the walls were covered with a fresh, shiny coat of brown paint, the toxic fumesRead MorePolice Accountability And The Criminal Justice System1356 Words   |  6 Pagespartner is allowing it, he is in the wrong just as much as his partner. Within police officers, there is something called the blue wall of silence, which is when police officers fail to report another police officer for activities such as misconduct, viola ting laws, etc. In the movie Serpico it showed how the officers within his department followed the blue wall of silence. Frank Serpico was a good example of how the police should show police accountability. Serpico had the option to engaged corruptionRead MoreThe Utilization Of Body Cameras795 Words   |  4 Pagescreditable data is difficult to obtain due to the bias that is present in internal investigations. Internal investigations are often skewed in favor of police officers. Officers often work under an unwritten code known as â€Å"Blue Wall of Silence† (Nolan, 2009). The blue wall of silence suggests that law enforcement has a tendency to withhold the truth in order to cover up wrong doing on behalf of their fellow law enforcers. This makes law enforcement appear to be deceptive (Nolan, 2009). When police officersRead MoreShort Essay On The Monster Hunts961 Words   |  4 Pageswindows were cracked and broken. Jackie and Joe got out of their old black Ford Mustang. Jackie’s long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had on blue jeans, black combat boots,and a brown leather jacket. Jackie immediately ran to the back of their car and opened the trunk. Joe went over to the gate and checked out the place. Joe was wearing his blue jeans, his faded brown leather jacket, and dark brown construction boots. Joe returned and went to the back of car to meet Jackie. Inside of the trunkRead MoreNecessity Of Reform Throughout Police Culture1651 Words   |  7 Pagesdesperate need for reform in the current police culture. There is a certain culture of silence prevalent among law enforcement officers. It is usually known as the Blue Wall of Silence, or the Blue Code. It is an unwritten rule among officers, to not report on each other’s mistakes, misconducts, or crimes. It is not a far cry from the same code of honor followed by Italian-American Mafioso, who follow a code of silenc e, wherein being an informant was considered the blackest mark against ones manhood