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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:07 pm
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Results for police corruption
75 results foundAuthor: Victoria. Office of Police Integrity Title: Report on Investigation into Operation Clarendon Summary: This report deals with issues that were the subject of an investigation into matters relating to the activities of Victoria Police members and a citizen, Mr. Kerry Milte. The inquiry examined allegations of unlawful activities between current members of the Victoria Police and Mr. Kerry Milte, who was acting as a police informant. Details: Melbourne: Government Printer, 2008. 23p. Source: Parliamentary Paper; Session 2006-2008, no. 79 Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 117612 Keywords: InformantsPolice CorruptionPolice Ethics |
Author: Azfar, Omar Title: Police Corruption, Crime and Crime Reporting: A Simultaneous Equations Approach Summary: This study examines the causal relationship between police corruption, crime and crime reporting, using data from the International Crime Victimization Survey. Using a simultaneous equations approach the study found a number of intuitive relationships, which are statistically significant. The clearest of these is that crime reporting reduces police corruption. Details: Oslo: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 2008. 35p. Source: Internet Resource; NUPI Working Paper 743 Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118574 Keywords: Crime ReportingPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Stone, Christopher Title: Policing Los Angeles Under a Consent Decree: The Dynamics of Change at the LAPD Summary: After a decade of policing crises that began with the beating of Rodney King in 1991 and culminated in the Rampart police corruption scandal in 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in May 2000 that it had accumulated enough evidence to sue the City of Los Angeles over a pattern-and-practice of police misconduct. Later that year, the city government entered a "consent decree" promising to adopt scores of reform measures under the supervision of the Federal Court. This study concludes that the the LAPD has significantly redeemed itself in the eyes of the public. A full 83 percent of city residents say the LAPD is doing a good or excellent job - up from 71 percent two years ago. The study found that the quality and quantity of law enforcement has improved since 2002 even as police used less serious force each year since 2004. Details: Cambridge, MA: Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School, 2009. 68p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118799 Keywords: 129782Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolice Use of Force (Los Angeles) |
Author: Simpson, Gerry Title: Welcome to Kenya: Police Abuse of Somali Refugees Summary: Near Kenya's officially closed border with Somalia, abusive police intercept thousands of mostly women and children asylum seekers fleeing war-torn Somalia every month. Using the clandestine nature of their journey as an excuse to extort and abuse them, police beat and, in some cases, rape them, and deport or detain those who don't pay on false charges of unlawful presence in Kenya. In early 2010, hundreds, if not thousands, of Somalis unable to pay were unlawfully sent back to Somalia. Once in the camps, which only 3 percent of refugees were allowed to leave in 2009, they face further police violence. Police also fail to investigate sexual violence against refugees by other refugees and Kenyan nationals in the camps, leading to a climate of impunity for those responsible. The abuses are the direct result of the country's border closure and the related closure of a refugee transit center near the border which used to provide a safe place where most Somalis first sought refuge in Kenya and from where the United Nations previously transported them to camps. Without this transit center, Somalis have become fair game for corrupt police. This report outlines concrete steps Kenya should take to end the abuses and to proactively prevent and respond to sexual violence in the camps. It also calls on the UN refugee agency to improve its monitoring of abuses and to increase its advocacy with the authorities to end them. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 94p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Kenya URL: Shelf Number: 119109 Keywords: AliensAsylumPolice CorruptionRapeRefugeesSexual AssaultSexual Violence |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Title: Standards and Guidelines for Internal Affairs: Recommendations from a Community of Practice Summary: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) convened the National Internal Affairs Community of Practice group comprising the LAPD and 11 major city and county law enforcement agencies. The purpose was to share and develop standards, recommendations, and best practices in Internal Affairs work, discuss differences and similarities in practice, and look at various approaches to improving individual and collective agencies' Internal Affairs practices. This report is the result of the group's work. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2009. 76p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119259 Keywords: Internal AffairsPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice MisconductPolicing |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Title: Building Trust Between the Police and the Citizens They Serve: An Internal Affairs Promising Practices Guide for Local Law Enforcement Summary: This report focuses on the pivotal role of the Internal Affairs function as one component of an agency-wide professional standards effort in building trust between law enforcement agencies, their staff, and the communities they are sworn to protect and service. The guide addresses the Internal Affairs function from complaint processing to decision-making, discipline, notification, and community transparency, as well as building an effective Internal Affairs approach for any size agency. It also looks at the Internal Affairs process from the citizen's viewpoint, presenting information on how local agencies can be accountable to their citizens through trust-building initiatives and other activities. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2009. 124p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119258 Keywords: Internal AffairsPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice MisconductPolice-Community Relations |
Author: New South Wales. Police Integrity Commission Title: Operation Lantana: Report to Parliament Summary: Operation Lantana involved allegations that two NSW Police Force officers had been involved in a ‘drug rip’, where they seized drugs and sold them for their own financial benefit. The Commission held a public hearing in February 2009 as a part of this investigation. Details: Sydney: NSW Police Integrity Commission, 2009. 50p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118812 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Andvig, Jens Chr. Title: Crime, Poverty and Police Corruption in Developing Countries Summary: "Crime and the fear of being hit by crime and small-scale violence are key economic and social problems in most developing countries, not least felt strongly by the poor. Extensive corruption in the police, experienced or perceived, contributes seriously to the problem. A key question raised in the paper is: How is police corruption linked to the wider processes of development - including crime, violence and poverty? The paper examines (i) how and why corruption may arise in the daily routines of the police and whether it may have impacts on crime rates; (ii) empirical indications of whether the police may be more corrupt than other groups of public officials; (iii) how and why police corruption may vary across countries; and (iv) the wider impacts of police corruption on development." Details: Bergen, Norway: CHR. Michelsen Institute, 2008. 32p. Source: Internet Resource; CMI Working Paper 2008:7 Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119375 Keywords: Corruption (Developing Countries)Police CorruptionPoverty |
Author: Victoria. Office of Police Integrity Title: Sensitive and Confidential Information in a Police Environment Summary: This discussion paper arose from extensive research and literature reviews into a number of leak enquiries involving police information. In the process of developing an understanding of the nature of information leaking by police officers, the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) researchers identified a paucity of knowledge within the Australian law enforcement environment. Unauthorised and inappropriate use of information by police officers is a form of misconduct that must result in serious consequences for all officers involved. This paper aims to provide an insight into and generate discussion about the factors influencing leaking behaviour, and to provide options for its prevention, management and treatment. The paper will also use case illustrations from OPI’s own investigation files and from the experiences of Victoria Police, to highlight the risks of misconduct and corruption. Details: Melbourne: Office of Police Integrity, 2010. 37p. Source: Internet Resource; Discussion Paper no. 2 Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119463 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Andvig, Jens Chr. Title: Crime, Police Corruption and Development: Evidence from Victimization Data Summary: Recently economists have begun to investigate a number of institutional conditions for growth. One question raised is how the degree of security of persons and property may impact economic development and human welfare. Based on different indexes, the importance of the degree of security is confirmed for growth and for investment in human and physical capital. Other studies had showed that corruption has a negative impact on growth. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether some specific sets of criminal actions that have impact on the security of property and persons and the behaviourally related police corruption may have significant impact on the long run economic development. Details: Oslo, Norway: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 2010. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: NUPI Working Paper 772: Accessed August 22, 2010 at: http://english.nupi.no/Publications/Working-Papers/2010/Crime-Police-Corruption-and-Development Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://english.nupi.no/Publications/Working-Papers/2010/Crime-Police-Corruption-and-Development Shelf Number: 119656 Keywords: Crime and Economic DevelopmentCrime and EconomicsPolice Corruption |
Author: Neild, Rachel Title: USAID Program Brief: Anticorruption and Police Integrity Summary: For those who work in the promotion of democracy and governance, the issue of fighting police corruption is essential. If basic human rights are to be protected and people are to live in safe and secure communities, the policing function must serve—and be seen as serving—the needs of the people. When those sworn to uphold the law engage in corruption themselves, it saps citizen confidence in democratic institutions—and could foster cynicism toward the notion of democracy itself. That said, police corruption is nearly always a function of larger systemic problems caused by the lack of overall transparency, the absence of checks and balances, weak rule of law and fragile institutions. This program brief is designed to “unpack” police corruption contextually, and to identify specific concerns that—in light of the societal role and special powers of the police—should be considered when developing programmatic responses. Seldom is the case where a stand-alone police corruption program is advisable. The most successful programs will be comprehensive and employ multiple strategies. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development, 2007. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/publications/pdfs/AC_and_Police_Integrity.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/publications/pdfs/AC_and_Police_Integrity.pdf Shelf Number: 119694 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice Misconduct |
Author: Lyday, Corbin Title: Corruption Assessment for Jamaica Summary: In 2007, a newly-elected Government came to power in Jamaica with a strong anti-corruption focus. It has appointed new reform champions to key positions—particularly in the police and customs—to join other recent change agents. Together, these new officials have begun to use their statutory authority quickly and aggressively to uncover illicit wealth and non-compliance with laws and regulation, or to shake up existing law enforcement institutions and practices. Within the first 6 months of 2008, nearly 50 members of the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF)—the most visible arm of both the problem and potential solution — were arrested and charged with offenses linked to corruption. While most of those have been low-ranking officers, the Office of the Contractor General has documented credible allegations of large-scale violations of public procurement regulations. Other higher-ranking allegations are sure to follow. In July 2008, public opinion polls for the first time listed corruption as the second-most serious problem facing Jamaica, behind crime and violence. Because independent media have followed recent developments carefully and systematically, there is a growing recognition by Jamaican society that such violations are not merely the result of mismanagement or incompetence, but a direct product of a political system that rewards patronage at the expense of transparency. While the way forward may not be clear, there is a growing sense society must take action against corruption in order to win the ‘other’ battles of crime, violence, and the squeeze on the country’s treasury made more acute by huge new increases in energy and food prices. The anti-corruption spotlight has been switched to the ‘on’ position and is now likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future, even as the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) pursues new anti-crime measures and alternative means to enhance food and fuel security. The most visible champions have taken the reins within a small number of public sector agencies and ministries, such as the Anti-Corruption Branch of the JCF, the Customs Department, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Contractor-General. But their influence in the current environment arguably goes beyond narrow mandates. Indeed, their continued success or failure rests heavily on the degree to which they can secure non-partisan, publicized support for their efforts from the country’s top political leadership as well as on the operational competence of their own organizations, especially at mid-levels. Indirectly, it also depends on the vigor with which the country’s systems of justice can investigate, arraign, prosecute and convict key ‘big fish’ accused of corruption. Their combined success at more or less the same time will send a powerful message to a cynical and uneasy society that business as usual will simply not be tolerated. The dynamics of these efforts are complicated and potentially dangerous. As the state moves to tighten procurement, clean up ‘ghost worker’ lists, move from low-level to higher-level targeting of corrupt police and public officials on a non-partisan basis, and move toward political party accountability, it will encounter fierce resistance. Many believe that the assassination of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Chairman Douglas Chambers in July 2008 can be construed to mean that the underworld has thrown down the gauntlet against this effort to ‘take back’ the state. Because both Jamaica’s state and society will need help and encouragement to continue to do the right thing, this Assessment urges 3-4 short-term examples of financial and organizational support from USAID/Jamaica including: immediate convening of a national integrity roundtable; personnel secondment; short-term mid-level leadership development; and the engagement of society toward corruption awareness. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development, 2008. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://usaid-comet.org/reports/Jamaica%20Corruption%20Assessment%20Report%20%209-11-08.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica URL: http://usaid-comet.org/reports/Jamaica%20Corruption%20Assessment%20Report%20%209-11-08.pdf Shelf Number: 119695 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolitical Corruption |
Author: Sabet, Daniel Title: Police Reform in Mexico: Advances and Persistent Obstacles Summary: At no time in Mexico’s history has there been a greater need for professional police forces. The current security crisis, which resulted in an estimated 6,587 organized crime related killings in 2009, has brought police reform to the top of the national agenda. While law enforcement should be the primary tool to address the country’s crime problems, the police are viewed as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. A brief review of the daily newspapers reveals problems such as (1) corruption and collusion with organized crime, (2) abuses of human rights in the form of torture, unwarranted search and seizure, violations to due process, and inversion of the presumption of innocence, and (3) ineffectiveness exemplified by the inability to stem the violence, poor investigation and intelligence gathering capabilities, and high rates of impunity. Evidence of these three problems has produced a deep seeded lack of confidence in the police, which ironically makes the police even less effective and further perpetuates corruption and abuse. Addressing Mexico’s security crisis will require creating an effective police force operating within the confines of the law. This chapter seeks to provide an overview of police reform in Mexico and elucidate the obstacles to institutional change. The chapter begins with an introduction to policing in Mexico and offers a brief exploration of the evidence of corruption, abuse, and ineffectiveness that plague Mexico’s various and numerous police departments. The analysis briefly considers the different approaches to reform, including a limited discretion approach, professionalization, and militarization. I then offer an overview of reform during the last three federal administrations: Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (1994-2000), Vicente Fox Quesada (2000-2006), and Felipe Calderón Hinojosa (2006-2012). The analysis concludes that considerable advances have been made but is forced to recognize that the fundamental problems of corruption, abuse, and ineffectiveness remain. To understand why, I explore the considerable obstacles that continue to serve as a challenge to reform efforts. Details: Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Mexico Institute; San Diego, CA: University of San Diego, Trans-Border Institute, 2010. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series on U.S.-Mexico Security Collaboration: Accessed August 30, 2010 at: http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Police%20Reform%20in%20Mexico.%20Sabet.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Police%20Reform%20in%20Mexico.%20Sabet.pdf Shelf Number: 119706 Keywords: Organized CrimePolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolicing |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Reforming Haiti's Security Sector Summary: Operations led by the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSTAH) largely disbanded armed gangs in the slums of Haiti's cities, but progress has been undermined by persisting crime, political instability and natural disasters. Reforming Haiti's Security Sector , the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the difficulties in strengthening the justice sector and establishing an operational and sufficiently staffed police force - two crucial elements for the country's future stability and development. Making decisive and swift headway with security sector reform (SSR) is a vital part of any durable solution to Haiti's political and economic, as well as security problems", says Bernice Robertson, Crisis Group's Haiti Senior Analyst. "The process to create a 14,000-strong Haitian National Police (HNP) by 2011 must be speeded up". The fall of Prime Minister Jacques-Adouard Alexis during last April's protests, the drawn-out negotiations between President Rena Preval and parliament over his successor and new Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis' political difficulties have put Haiti's fragile governance once again under severe strain. Drug traffickers, organised criminals and corrupt politicians have mobilised the population for their own benefit and a procession of hurricanes in August and September has caused enormous damage to Haiti's physical infrastructure. HNP vetting needs to be concluded, the number of police cadets has to be increased and officers should receive further training in specific skills, including anti-kidnapping, riot control, counter-drug, border control, forensics and intelligence gathering and analysis. Special crime chambers ought to be created to try serious offenders, and the inhumane prison conditions have to be improved quickly. MINUSTAH should maintain its present military component but increase the number of international police, and deploy UN civil affairs and police personnel with special experience in border control to assist HNP units along the frontier with the Dominican Republic. "Haiti urgently needs a professional HNP as a prerequisite and bulwark if the new government is to move the country, with MINUSTAH and donor help, toward stability", says Markus Schultze-Kraft, Crisis Group's Latin America Program Director. "But it also needs a justice system capable of upholding the rule of law and programs that provide swift, visible relief to families enduring extremely harsh living conditions and natural disasters". Details: Brussels, Belgium: International Crisis Group, 2008. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin America/Caribbean Report No. 28: Accessed August 30, 2010 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/latin-america/haiti/28_reforming_haiti_s_security_sector.ashx Year: 2008 Country: Haiti URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/latin-america/haiti/28_reforming_haiti_s_security_sector.ashx Shelf Number: 119709 Keywords: Drug TraffickingKidnappingOrganized CrimePolice CorruptionPolice ReformViolence |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: Corruption and the South African Police Service: A Review and Its Implications Summary: In 2002 the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) anti-corruption unit was shut down after six years of apparently successful work. Since then the organisation has struggled to develop and implement a new corruption combating plan. While it is arguably impossible to measure the extent of corruption in the SAPS, research points to a correlation between rising public perceptions of police corruption and a loss of faith in policing institutions. Corruption thus threatens the legitimacy of one of the country’s central structures of justice. In 2007 the SAPS was due to roll out a barrage of anti-corruption measures as part of an ambitious plan to clamp down on corruption in its ranks. In light of these developments this paper provides an overview of previous research on corruption in the organisation together with an introduction to SAPS’s latest approach to corruption busting. This paper represents an independently funded collaboration between the Crime and Justice and Corruption and Governance Programmes at the Institute for Security Studies. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Securitiy Studies, 2007. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 150: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/PAPER150PDF.PDF Year: 2007 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/PAPER150PDF.PDF Shelf Number: 110194 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Jamaicans for Justice Title: Killing Impunity: Fatal Police Shootings and Extrajudicial Executions in Jamaica: 2005-2007 Summary: This report updates prior studies on the practice of fatal police shootings and extrajudicial executions in Jamaica, as well as the pattern of impunity that feeds it. In addition to providing the latest empirical evidence on police killings, we examine the recent functioning of the authorities, mechanisms, and procedures charged under Jamaican law with ensuring that police who exceed their legal mandate in the use of lethal force are held accountable. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: Jamaicans for Justice; Washington, DC: International Human Rights Clinic, George Washington University Law School, 2008. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2010 at: http://www.jamaicansforjustice.org/docs/08063025G0.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica URL: http://www.jamaicansforjustice.org/docs/08063025G0.pdf Shelf Number: 119943 Keywords: Extrajudicial ExecutionsPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of Force |
Author: United Nations Development Programme - Afghanistan: Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan Title: Police Perception Survey, 2009: The Afghan Perspective Summary: From July 9th to July 21st, 2009, the Afghan Center for Socio-Economic and Opinion Research (ACSOR) Surveys conducted a survey of public opinion for UNDP-Afghanistan on the subject of Police Performance and Public Safety perceptions. The main purpose of this study was to provide insight into the opinions of the people of Afghanistan with regard to various policing issues. ACSOR interviewed 5,156 Afghan respondents (2,827 males and 2,329 females), age 18 or older, across all 34 provinces of the country. In Afghanistan, security is the responsibility of several different groups. These include, but are not limited to, local law enforcement officials, Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army (ANA) and the National Department of Security (NDS). While questions pertaining to the security of Afghanistan as a whole are addresed, the majority of the questions focused on police in regard to local performance. The main results of the survey showed more positive trends about the police performance than generally perceived. Almost half of Afghans (49%) think the police in their area are controlling crime and 42% strongly agree that the police performance has improved over the past year. 67% of respondents believe that if better trained, police performance is very likely to improve, 65% believe that it is very likely that having better knowledge of the law will lead to improvement, and 58% believe that it is very likely that an increase in pay would improve performance. Under the current circumstances, 34% somewhat agree that police officers should receive higher salaries than teachers. Afghans are hopeful that improvements in the police force are both possible and forthcoming. Respondents also answered affirmatively that interaction between officers and the public are ways to improve police performance, with 65% saying that community meetings between police and local residents would improve security, as would police assistance in the development of “watch groups” (54%). Moreover, 52-54% of Afghans would like to see more female law enforcement officers, particularly to address crimes against women and children. On the negative side, Afghans still believe that corruption is widely present in the police force, in particular amongst those respondents in the Central/Kabul region where 27% of respondents say “a lot” of police misuse their authority, compared to 21% nationwide. There was also a 42% pervasive response, particularly among shop keepers, that gifts and bribes are necessary when interacting with officers. About half of Afghans (51%) think that when performing their duties, police officers in their area are partial in favor of their tribe; however, 52% think that when it comes to recruiting new police cadets, high-ranking police officers are not partial. Regarding security in general, most Afghans (80%) reported that the security situation in their area is good; of this, 96% among those living in Kabul and surrounding provinces. However, respondents in the East and South, as well as rural respondents in general, were less likely to view security as good. Details: Kabul, Afghanistan: UNDP Afghanistan Country Office, 2009. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2010 at: http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/UNDP_Afghanistan_PolicePerceptionSurvey2009.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Afghanistan URL: http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/UNDP_Afghanistan_PolicePerceptionSurvey2009.pdf Shelf Number: 120175 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (Afghanistan)Public Opinion |
Author: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Title: The Police, The People, The Politics: Police Accountability in Tanzania Summary: This report on policing in Tanzania analyses the Tanzania police, looking mainly at illegitimate political control, the impact of that control on policing, and the reform answers that will provide a more democratic and more accountable police service to the Tanzanian people. The report examines the concepts of democratic policing and accountability in practice, in the Tanzanian context. It looks at the development of the Tanzanian Police Force, analyses the issues that the police are faced with, considers the legislative and political frameworks that the police operate within and critiques policing budgets in tanzania. Finally, it suggests the reforms that need to take place in tanzania and provides a roadmap for those reforms. Details: New Delhi, India: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 2006. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2010 at: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/tanzania_country_report_2006.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Tanzania URL: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/tanzania_country_report_2006.pdf Shelf Number: 120082 Keywords: Police Accountability (Tanzania)Police CorruptionPolice Reform |
Author: Korsell, Lars Title: Police Encounters with Organised Crime: A Research Project About Unlawful Influence Summary: Currently, the Swedish police are mobilising against organised crime (Ministry of Justice Ds 2009:38). Two hundred police officers have been allocated to fight this form of criminality; action groups are being set up regionally, in eight locations throughout the country, and centrally, at the National Criminal Police. The police information service is being expanded, and regional intelligence centres (RUC) with collaborating authorities will soon be found in eight locations throughout the country. Profits from organised crime are also being focused on, and the police are carrying out an “asset-centered” fight against crime in collaboration with other authorities. The efforts are focusing both on preventing new recruitment and on prosecuting established members. In addition, it is an ambition to create channels to facilitate persons defecting from criminal gangs. Organised crime thus appears to be an area of high priority. But measures give rise to countermeasures. One strategy is for organised crime to become even more cautious and invisible, investing in security and avoid contact with authorities. Another tactic, and much more rare, is to fight back, using unlawful influence, which is what this report is about. The term unlawful influence means harassment, threats, criminal damage and violence, but also corruption aimed at exerting influence over the discharge of work duties. It might, for instance, be about ensuring that the police do not carry out a check or apprehend someone. In other cases, they may want to make police employees act in a manner favourable to the influencer, such as passing on secret information. As unlawful influence can take many forms, and thus be aimed at police employees carrying out different tasks, the investigation covers both police officers and civilian employees. The expression does not cover all the instances of threats and violence to which police employees are subjected, but only those that the individuals in question feel fill a more qualified purpose – to influence them in the execution of their work. The following research project studies unlawful influence against police employees by individuals linked to some kind of organised crime. In this report, the expression “organised crime” covers groups with varying degrees of organisation, from youth gangs who are on the margins of criminal networks to specialised networks concentrating on a particular type of illegal product or service. In between, there are suburban gangs, biker gangs, prison gangs and political extremist groups. A characteristic of the central actors within organised crime is that their criminality constitutes a “profession”, where persons have reached differing levels of achievement. Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2009. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: A Summary of Report 2009:7: Accessed December 13, 2010 at: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=Police%20encounters_with_organised_crime_summary.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/090729/ddda7c0ce88218cefffbd041636217eb/Police%2520encounters%255fwith%255forganised%255fcrime%255fsummary.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Sweden URL: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=Police%20encounters_with_organised_crime_summary.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/090729/ddda7c0ce88218cefffbd041636217eb/Police%2520encounters%255fwith%255forganis Shelf Number: 120488 Keywords: GangsOrganized Crime (Sweden)Police CorruptionPolice Misconduct |
Author: Jonsson, Anna Title: Russia's Police Reform - Medvedev's Test? Summary: President Dimitry Medvedev has made police reform in Russia one of his largest and most important reform projects. The police reform could be seen as a part of the larger anti-corruption program that he launched in 2008. These reforms are long overdue and badly needed; the Russian police force is one of the most notoriously corrupt state bodies in Russia. Details: Stockholm: Institute for Security & Development Policy, 2010. 3p. Source: Internet Resoruce: Policy Brief, No. 41: Accessed December 21, 2010 at: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2010_jonsson_russias-police-reform.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Russia URL: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2010_jonsson_russias-police-reform.pdf Shelf Number: 120563 Keywords: Police (Russia)Police CorruptionPolice Reform |
Author: Morayef, Heba Title: Work on Him Until He Confesses: Impunity for Torture in Egypt Summary: Torture is widespread in Egypt—used by law enforcement officers for Criminal Investigations and State Security Investigations (SSI) in a deliberate and systematic manner to glean confessions and information or to punish both criminal and political detainees. Since most torture cases are not prosecuted, police abuse is common and law enforcement officers are free to act with impunity. For example, SSI officers are not permitted to detain people but frequently carry out enforced disappearances and interrogate and abuse suspects. The government maintains that incidents of torture are isolated and that it investigates each one. While prosecutors open investigation files on each formal complaint, a number of factors prevent most cases progressing to court, including police intimidation of victims and witnesses who pursue complaints, the prosecution’s limited resources and lack of independence, an inadequate legal framework, and the fact that police from the same unit as the alleged perpetrator are responsible for gathering evidence and summoning witnesses. This report documents the obstacles that exist to prosecuting law enforcement officers for torture and finds the government is failing to provide torture victims effective remedy, or to deter such abuses in the future by holding perpetrators accountable. “Work on Him until He Confesses” urges the Egyptian government to investigate all credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment, even in the absence of a formal complaint. Prosecutors should conduct these inquiries promptly, impartially, and thoroughly, ensuring they investigate all those allegedly responsible, including superiors, and without involving alleged abusers in gathering evidence. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2011. 95p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2011/01/30/work-him-until-he-confesses-0 Year: 2011 Country: Egypt URL: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2011/01/30/work-him-until-he-confesses-0 Shelf Number: 120670 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of ForceTorture (Egypt) |
Author: Ndebele, Thuthukani Title: Broken Blue Line: The Involvement of the South African Police Force in Serious and Violent Crime in South Africa Summary: South Africans have become accustomed to media reports alleging the involvement of policemen or 'people dressed in police uniforms' in serious crimes. The Institute and its Unit for Risk Analysis have become increasingly concerned at the number and nature of these reports. To try and determine the scale of the problem, the Institute assigned a researcher to source as much information as possible on the involvement of police officers in committing crime. The results were alarming. The Institute consulted journalists, media reports, and information from the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). Within a week, a list of over 100 separate incidents alleging and/or confirming the police's involvement in serious crimes was drawn up. The Institute's researchers stopped looking for more incidents after compiling this list of the initial 100. This report provides an analysis of these 100 incidents and proposes a number of policy interventions for the Government to consider. The Institute has been encouraged that the administration of President Jacob Zuma has done away with much of the crime denialism that characterised the Mbeki era and also that General Bheki Cele seems sincere about re-instilling discipline and order in his police. This report is conceived to capitalise on these positive developments and to support legislators and the police in making better policing policy in South Africa. The report will be made available to MPs, MPLs, the South African Police Force, and the media. Top tier Institute subscribers can log in to download the report below. Other users and interested parties may purchase the report online. Details: Johannesburg: South African Institute of Race Relations, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2011 at: http://www.sairr.org.za/services/publications/occasional-reports/files/001%20-%20Broken%20Blue%20Line%20-11.02.2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.sairr.org.za/services/publications/occasional-reports/files/001%20-%20Broken%20Blue%20Line%20-11.02.2011.pdf Shelf Number: 120844 Keywords: Police Corruption Police Misconduct Police Use of Force |
Author: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum Title: An Audit of Police Oversight in Africa Summary: This audit is provided to give insight into the diversity of police oversight on the African continent and the challenges it faces. Through this publication APCOF also seeks to raise awareness on the importance of policing oversight in the ongoing efforts to promote reform or transform police agencies into organisations that are effective and efficient but also respectful of peoples’ and human rights. The field is dynamic and this audit should be seen as a work in progress. The audit was undertaken over a period of two years as four separate studies into police oversight in the Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern African regions. The report is structured to provide a brief background to the country and its political and legal system, an overview of the police and the oversight mechanisms over the police. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: African Minds, 2008. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.africanminds.co.za/books/An%20Audit%20of%20Police%20Oversight%20in%20Africa.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Africa URL: http://www.africanminds.co.za/books/An%20Audit%20of%20Police%20Oversight%20in%20Africa.pdf Shelf Number: 121227 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolicing (Africa) |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: Setting the Standard: A Review of Current Processes for the Management of Police Discipline and Misconduct Matters Summary: In August 2009, the Queensland Government published a discussion paper, Integrity and Accountability in Queensland, inviting public comment on the state’s accountability framework. The management of police discipline and misconduct matters was a significant focus of the discussion paper, which posed two key questions relating to the conduct of public officers: Are the mechanisms to find unacceptable behaviour [by public officers] sufficient? • Are the sanctions for unacceptable behaviour [by public officers] sufficient? In response to these questions, the Queensland Government received over 100 written submissions, including a significant number expressing concerns about the current discipline processes applying to members of the Queensland Police Service (QPS). In November 2009, the Attorney-General therefore requested the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) ‘to conduct an independent review of current processes for the management of Police discipline and misconduct matters’, and deliver a report on the review to him by 30 June 2010. In conducting the review, the CMC consulted about police discipline processes with QPS officers at various ranks statewide, the Queensland Police Union of Employees (QPUE), interstate police and police oversight agencies. We examined a range of documents and data relating to the QPS since the Fitzgerald Inquiry, police discipline systems more generally, and complaints against police. The review focuses on the processes applying to sworn police officers, not police recruits or civilian staff members of the QPS, in recognition of the fact that the conduct of police officers is the most critical and visible reflection of the professional standards and reputation of the QPS. The primary object of this report is to make and justify recommendations which, if implemented appropriately, will ensure that Queensland has an effective and fair system for ensuring police accountability and integrity. Part 1 provides the background to the review and describes its scope and methodology. Part 2 of the report focuses on the discipline system in principle. It discusses the characteristics of a police discipline system, proposes a model system drawn from an examination of literature detailing the findings of past reviews, and looks at the organisational context, legislative framework and structure of the system currently in place in the QPS. Part 3 discusses the QPS discipline system as it currently operates, illustrated by case studies to highlight particular issues. It examines the gap between the system in theory and its evidence in practice, and makes recommendations for improving the system and closing this gap. Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2010. 192p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/tableOffice/documents/TabledPapers/2010/5310T3791.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/tableOffice/documents/TabledPapers/2010/5310T3791.pdf Shelf Number: 121247 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice Misconduct (Australia) |
Author: Gorta, Angela Title: Minimising Officer Illegal Drug Use: The Impact of Operation Abelia in the 5 Years Since Publication Summary: Illegal drug use by police officers is a concern in many jurisdictions. It is more than five years since the Police integrity Commission published its Operation Abelia report which sought to develop a better understanding of the nature of the problem of illegal drug use by some NSW police officers and what can be done to minimise such illegal drug use. This Research & Issues Paper provides a brief outline of Operation Abelia and then describes the key outcomes arising from some of the Operation Abelia 64 recommendations and the related changes in NSW Police Force policies and practices that have occurred following Operation Abelia. It also outlines future challenges for the NSW Police Force in this area. It does not contain any formal recommendations. Details: Sydney: NSW Police Integrity Commission, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Research and Issues Papers, No. 6: Accessed April 6, 2011 at: http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/News/Abelia%20Research%20&%20Issues%20Paper.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/News/Abelia%20Research%20&%20Issues%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 121257 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct (Australia)Police Officers, Drug Abuse |
Author: Ritter, Ildiko Title: A Matter of Trust: Research on Complaints Filed Against Police Measures in 2005 Summary: The Hungarian system of complaints against unlawful police action has been criticised being dysfunctional due to systemic and procedural reasons. The most important flaw was that the police rather than an independent body decided all complaints. The institutional culture of this military-type organization is still characterized by lack of transparency and strong internal loyalty. Senior police leaders usually do not act with sufficient firmness against violations committed by their colleagues, therefore often even obvious violations of law are deemed lawful, few complaints are submitted and practically all are rejected. In 2007, The Hungarian Helsinki Committee launched a program with the support of the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe, in order to incite the reform considering the police complaints’ procedure. The Committee aspired to identify problems in legislation and practice that were the causes of the complaints system’s ineffectiveness, and to raise awareness of the need to make the system of complaints more effective in Hungary. (The program of the roundtable, organized by the HHC and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union in April 2007 about the police complaint mechanisms, may be downloaded here.) The Committee advocated for establishing an independent police complaints body, showed examples of good practice from other EU member states and also proposed a model law to be considered for adoption by Hungarian law-makers. In 2008, the HHC published a report on the research under the title ‘A Matter of Trust’, which analyzed the typical reasons of the complaint procedures, their outcomes, and the lessons drawn through the examination of the files of 200 complaints. Details: Budapest, Hungary: Hungarian Helsinki Committee, 2008. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2011 at: http://helsinki.webdialog.hu/dokumentum/Bizalmi_kerdes_US.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Hungary URL: http://helsinki.webdialog.hu/dokumentum/Bizalmi_kerdes_US.pdf Shelf Number: 121506 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct (Hungary) |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: The Ethical Perceptions and Attitudes of Queensland Police Service Recruits and First Year Constables 1995–2008 Summary: Since 1995, the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC)/Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) has been administering police ethics surveys to recruits and first year constables (FYCs) in the Queensland Police Service (QPS). In this time, we have surveyed 1150 recruits and 1463 FYCs at the Oxley and Townsville campuses of the QPS Academy. Our research aims to gauge respondents’ attitudes to and perceptions of a range of issues related to police ethics and misconduct, and to track any changes over time. The ethics survey attempts to overcome some of the limitations of studying police misconduct and corruption by focusing on key issues related to the integrity of the police service as a whole, rather than individual behaviour. In particular, the survey aims to answer the following questions: How informed do recruits and FYCs feel about ethical issues and the QPS complaints and disciplinary process? • How serious do recruits and FYCs regard misconduct and corruption to be? • Do recruits and FYCs perceive a high likelihood of misconduct and corruption being detected in the QPS? • How willing are recruits and FYCs to say that they would report misconduct and corruption? • What do recruits and FYCs say about the culture of the QPS? • How do recruits and FYCs view the QPS’s approach to management and discipline? The main part of the survey is based on a series of misconduct scenarios that police officers may encounter during their careers. Although the survey directly assesses the ethical perceptions of recruits and FYCs only, the results also serve as a useful guide to the overall ethical climate of the QPS. It is envisaged that the answers to the above questions will help the QPS evaluate the success of its ethical awareness programs and inform decisions about the ethics education and training of its officers. More generally, conducting regular ethics surveys has been identified as a potential corruption prevention measure. By answering these questions and identifying attitudes that may predispose police agencies towards unethical behaviour, the results of our ethics survey can assist QPS management to implement strategies to control and prevent misconduct and corruption. The purpose of this report is to describe the results of all of the surveys undertaken by the CMC between 1995 and 2008. It focuses particularly on the overall views of recruits and FYCs about police misconduct, and examines whether these views have changed since 1995. It also considers recruits’ and FYCs’ perceptions of the culture of the QPS and its approach to discipline, management and ethics. The report highlights a number of positive findings and improvements over time, while also identifying some areas that require further attention. Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2010. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2011 at: http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/25310001288920372445.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/25310001288920372445.pdf Shelf Number: 121775 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice Ethics (Australia)Police MisconductPolice Training |
Author: Torre, Luis V. de la Title: Drug-Trafficking and Police Corruption: A Comparison of Colombia and Mexico Summary: Police officers working in countries plagued by drug trafficking are often offered a choice between "plata o plomo" ("silver or lead"). Given this option, it is not surprising that levels of police corruption are high in these nation-states. Significantly, however, levels of police corruption do differ radically between those countries where the levels of drug production and trafficking are similar. This thesis examines the case of Mexico, where corruption has been historically high and has increased in recent times; and the case of Colombia, where levels of police corruption have been relatively low and might even be said to be on the decline. Specialists in police reform and anticorruption typically look at administrative factors such as ethics, salary levels, the purging of corrupt officials, and the recruiting and training of clean officers as essential elements in the prevention of police corruption. While these factors explain some of the differences in levels of corruption, this thesis fills an important gap in the existing literature by moving beyond these conventional explanations. In particular, it introduces a country-specific approach to drug-related police corruption, including factors such as the organizational structure of the police force (centralized or decentralized), the legacy of the political criminal nexus in the country concerned, and both the size and ideology of the drug trafficking organizations involved. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2008. 141p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 22, 2011 at: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada483659.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Colombia URL: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada483659.pdf Shelf Number: 122144 Keywords: Drug CartelsDrug Trafficking (Colombia and Mexico)Police Corruption |
Author: Dewey, Matias Title: Fragile States, Robust Structures: Illegal Police Protection in Buenos Aires Summary: Weakness is a quality frequently ascribed to Latin American states. This diagnosis proves faulty since it is possible to find resistant structures inside those states that perpetuate such weaknesses. This article shows that this is the case in regards to the police force of the province of Buenos Aires. Here, I will demonstrate that the police have specialized in selling a service available to criminals and criminal organizations: illegal protection. With information taken from in‐depth interviews and official documents, I will show that this protection – contrary to the views of Charles Tilly and Diego Gambetta – is characterized by a temporary suspension of the rule of law. Details: Hamburg, Germany: German Institute of Global and Area Studies, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: GIGA Working Papers, No. 169: Accessed August 5, 2011 at: http://www.giga-hamburg.de/dl/download.php?d=/content/publikationen/pdf/wp169_dewey.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Argentina URL: http://www.giga-hamburg.de/dl/download.php?d=/content/publikationen/pdf/wp169_dewey.pdf Shelf Number: 122307 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductRule of Law (Buenos Aires) |
Author: Fric, Pavol Title: Crossing the Thin Llue Line: An international annual review of anti-corruption strategies in the police. 2001 edition. Summary: No matter what form it takes, corruption inside the police force poses one of the gravest dangers to the democratic functioning of society. The police should be an institution that protects citizens and society from those who snub law and order. However, due to the nature of the work performed by police officers (24/7 direct contact with both the public and the criminal underworld), they are prime targets for those who want to break the law and avoid prosecution. And when, instead of following the rule of law, police officers themselves break the law or lure other citizens into doing so, their actions create many problems, eroding the public’s faith in the rule of law, justice, and democratic institutions. Unfortunately, the amount of empirical information available on the corruption of police officers and the measures undertaken in order to fight this threat is rather limited. We are uncertain whether to blame this on a lack of interest among independent researchers in the field, or on the proverbial "blue wall of silence" from police officers. Nevertheless, this lacuna has led us to the idea of launching an annual review to re-evaluate the anti-corruption strategies within police forces world-wide. We believe that, by making such information publicly available, "crossing the thin blue line" will become more difficult. This year's review consists of the results of experts' investigations and case studies opinionated by distinguished experts. The first part of this study discusses in general outlines the anti-corruption strategies employed by selected countries, the possible factors influencing the choice of the strategies undertaken and the effectiveness of the specific measures used in the fight against police corruption. Countries' profiles, including detailed information about anti-corruption strategies applied in 25 countries and information about specific examples of corrupt behaviour by police officers, are presented in the second part of the study. The third part is conceptualised as an expansion of the survey's results. We have asked a distinguished international circle of experts in the field to offer their opinion on the case studies written by a investigative journalist familiar with police corruption. These experts' task was to map out an effective strategy or elements of a strategy that would help to diminish or minimise the occurrence of corrupt behaviour. Details: Prague: Transparency International, 2001. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2011 at: http://old.transparency.cz/pdf/crossing.pdf Year: 2001 Country: International URL: http://old.transparency.cz/pdf/crossing.pdf Shelf Number: 122355 Keywords: Blue Wall of SilenceCorruptionPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Amnesty International Title: No Evidence of a Crime: Paying the Price for Police Impunity in Ukraine Summary: Human rights abuses are practised systematically by the police in Ukraine, despite increasing efforts to combat the problem and growing public outrage. institutional failings and high levels of corruption in the Ministry of Internal Affairs mean that people who come into contact with the police are at risk of a wide range of abuses, from verbal attacks to torture and other ill-treatment, including fatal injuries. investigations into these events are often delayed, ineffective and biased, which only encourages the police in a culture of impunity. This report is a result of interviews carried out by Amnesty International in March and April 2011 with victims, lawyers and human rights defenders. It includes case histories, analyses the problem of torture and ill-treatment in Ukraine and makes recommendations to the government. Amnesty International makes a variety of recommendations which will help the government fulfil its international obligation to combat torture and other ill-treatment. These include: the establishment of a fully resourced, independent agency to investigate all allegations of human rights violations by law enforcement officers, including the police; better safeguards for detainees in police custody; and the establishment of an independent organization with powers to monitor places of detention. Details: London: Amnesty International, 2011. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2011 at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR50/009/2011/en/8b104ee8-689f-4bc3-9fb2-2c68916be33b/eur500092011en.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Ukraine URL: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR50/009/2011/en/8b104ee8-689f-4bc3-9fb2-2c68916be33b/eur500092011en.pdf Shelf Number: 123043 Keywords: Human Rights (Ukraine)Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of ForceTorture |
Author: Amnesty International Title: 'Shut Up If You Don't Want To Be Killed!" Human Rights Violations by Police in the Dominican Republic Summary: Hundreds of people are shot and killed every year by police in the Dominican Republic. Members of the national police are responsible, on average, for 15 per cent of all homicides in the country. although the vast majority of these fatal shootings are described by the police as “exchanges of gunfire” with criminal suspects, the evidence suggests that in many cases the killings are unlawful. Widespread corruption within the national police force and aggressive policing methods have undermined public trust and exacerbated the public security crisis in a country where levels of violent crime have increased significantly in recent years. This report details numerous cases of human rights violations by police including unlawful shootings, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention. it analyses the difficulties faced by victims’ families and survivors in getting justice. The report also examines how weak oversight mechanisms have allowed human rights abuses by the police to persist and flourish. Details: London: Amnesty International, 2011. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 5, 2011 at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR27/002/2011/en/6ead3e9d-0684-40ae-aa71-73c3dc5382dc/amr270022011en.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Dominican Republic URL: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR27/002/2011/en/6ead3e9d-0684-40ae-aa71-73c3dc5382dc/amr270022011en.pdf Shelf Number: 123234 Keywords: HomicidesHuman RightsPolice CorruptionPolice Use of Force (Dominican Republic)Violence |
Author: Victoria (Australia). Office of Police Integrity Title: Crossing the Line: Report of an investigation into the conduct of a member of Victoria Police undertaking secondary employment as a Ministerial Adviser and his relationship with a Deputy Commissioner of Victoria Police Summary: This report is presented to Parliament in accordance with section 28(2) of the Police Integrity Act 2008. It details the outcome of an investigation begun in May 2011 into: Certain activities of (then) Detective Leading Senior Constable Tristan Weston while undertaking secondary employment as a Ministerial Officer in the Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Certain communications between Mr Weston in his capacity as a Ministerial Office and (then) Deputy Commissioner Sir Ken Jones QPM. This report outlines evidence gathered in the course of the investigation, draws conclusions from such evidence and makes recommendations. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2011. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2011 at: www.opi.vic.gov.au/file.php?292 Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 123266 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice Misconduct (Australia) |
Author: Bayley, David Title: Police Corruption: What Past Scandals Teach about Current Challenges Summary: Police corruption is an international problem. Historically, police misconduct has been a factor in the development of police institutions worldwide, but it is a particular problem in counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations, such as the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization police training program in Afghanistan. There, police abuse and corruption appear endemic and have caused some Afghans to seek the assistance of the Taliban against their own government. The most reliable and extensive knowledge about police corruption in the world’s English-speaking countries is found in the reports of specially appointed blue-ribbon commissions, independent of government, created for the sole purpose of conducting investigations of police corruption. To reduce police corruption, the commissions recommend creating external oversight over the police with a special focus on integrity, improving recruitment and training, leadership from supervisors of all ranks about integrity, holding all commanders responsible for the misbehavior of subordinates, and changing the organization’s culture to tolerate misbehavior less. The remedies proposed by the commissions, however, rely on a set of contextual conditions not commonly found in countries emerging from conflict or facing serious threats to their security. This report suggests triage and bootstraps as strategies for reducing police corruption in countries with security threats. Triage involves targeting assistance in countries where there are solid prospects for tipping police practice in the desired direction. Bootstraps involves using reform within the police itself as a lever to encourage systemic social and political reform in countries in crisis or emerging from conflict. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2011 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/SR%20294.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/SR%20294.pdf Shelf Number: 123268 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Reform |
Author: Latypov, Alisher Title: Drug Dealers, Drug Lords and Drug Warriors-cum-Traffickers: Drug Crime and the Narcotics Market in Tajikistan Summary: This report presents research on the role played by the police, petty drug dealers and users in the street level drug trade in Tajikistan. Synthesizing information received from interviews with individual Tajik drug users, annual reports from the Tajik Drug Control Agency as well as lesser- known studies by local researchers, the study brings to light a number of interesting details of the street level drug trade in Tajikistan and discusses their implications for drug policies in the region as a whole. The main findings are: 1. the drug trade is evolving and becoming more mobile whereby cellular communications are used to arrange meetings or direct delivery of drugs to one’s home by the dealer in lieu of the previous practice of using specially-designated apartments or homes for the sale/purchase of drugs; 2.there is an emerging tendency amongst dealers to have purchasers transfer money to their bank accounts to facilitate larger drug sales; 3.heroin in Tajikistan is now more widely available, easier to acquire and of higher quality – all of which is consistent with changes in the prices of high purity heroin in the country in recent years; 4.the current situation in those towns bordering Afghanistan indicates a strong correlation between HIV risk behaviors and expanding HIV epidemics among injecting drug users; 5.new types of drugs like pill-form methadone from Iran and cocaine and ecstasy from China and Russia are available on the drug markets in Tajikistan, with the latter becoming especially popular in night clubs frequented by Tajik youth; 6.the Tajik drug market is being connected to drug markets in other countries through new routes between Tajikistan and China, with drugs moving in both directions, and Tajikistan and Iran. This research likewise illustrates the shocking state of corruption in Tajik law enforcement agencies and penitentiary facilities whereby police and prison officers directly facilitate the distribution of drugs. Law enforcement officials provide (confiscated) heroin to favored dealers, arrest or harass competing dealers and exploit drug users in various ways for the sake of information, money or sexual favors. Drug users are also routinely arrested, often by planting evidence on them, to meet arbitrary quotas, which all but ensures that the activities of larger criminal and drug trafficking organizations will go on unimpeded. Moreover, while the analysis of data from the Tajik Drug Control Agency suggests that the volume of opiates coming to or transiting Tajikistan from Afghanistan might, on the whole, have diminished over the past few years, the reported decrease in opiate seizures appears to be misleading as corruption in law enforcement has kept the country awash in heroin and other drugs. To address these challenges, this study suggests stepping up state prosecution of corrupt police and corrections officers, re-visiting contemporary drug policies through the lens of human rights, introducing policies that discourage targeting and arresting drug users for the purpose of police performance assessment, and providing more harm reduction, drug treatment and legal aid opportunities to people who use drugs both in community and prison settings. Details: Vilnius, Lithuania: Eurasian Harm Reduction Network, 2011. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 23, 2012 at http://idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/Drug_warriors_in_Takijistan_0.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Tajikistan URL: http://idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/Drug_warriors_in_Takijistan_0.pdf Shelf Number: 123749 Keywords: Drug DealersDrug PoliciesDrug Trade (Tajikistan)Drug Trafficking (Tajikistan)HeroinIllegal Drug TradeOpiatesPolice Corruption |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Indonesia: The Deadly Cost of Poor Policing Summary: Indonesian communities are increasingly turning to violence to retaliate against the police for abuses, real or perceived. Some 40 attacks on police stations and personnel since August 2010 are clear evidence that community policing, the centrepoint of the police reform agenda, is not working; police are too quick to shoot, usually with live ammunition; and little progress has been made toward police accountability. In the absence of urgent reforms and mechanisms to address local grievances, public hostility is likely to grow. Police are supposed to be helping prevent conflict but too often they are contributing to its outbreak. Cultural, structural, individual, financial and educational barriers within the institution hinder behavioural change. Applicants join the police to wield power and earn money, and once on the force, there are few incentives, financial or professional, to build rapport with the communities they are supposed to serve. Policy directives on community policing from 2005 and 2008 have not trickled down to the sub-district precincts (kepolisian sektor, polsek), and those field officers who are committed to building good relations have limited impact because of frequent rotations. Community hostility is the cumulative result of police brutality; unwarranted demands for money; perceived arrogance; and lack of accountability, especially in cases of fatal shootings. Failure to investigate or punish errant officers triggers mob action, often involving arson, while community resistance to the arrest of those responsible for such violence intensifies if the police in question go free. The problem is compounded by the staffing of precincts with poorly-trained graduates of provincial police schools who receive inadequate firearms training, let alone instruction in community policing. In many cases, local elected officials have to take on the burden of negotiating a way out of the police-community standoff because there are no available institutional mechanisms to resolve grievances. This report looks in detail at three cases of community attacks on police stations that occurred in 2010 and 2011. All started from complaints about excessive use of force. In Buol, Central Sulawesi, citizens destroyed police facilities and forced police families to leave town after seven men were shot dead during a mass protest against the death of a teenager in police custody. This is one of the few cases in which officers were brought to court, but only because of the high death toll and media attention. One was acquitted, two were given slap-on-the-wrist sentences, and some two dozen others faced minor disciplinary sanctions. Many questions remain unanswered. In Kampar, Riau, residents vandalised a precinct after the arrest and beating of an innocent clan elder at a market. He was accused of illegal gambling because he was jotting numbers on a piece of paper, when in fact he was noting product prices. Trivial arrests like this frequently occur because police are rewarded for favourable crime statistics: the more arrests they make, regardless of the severity of the crime, the better they are seen to be doing their job. In Bantaeng, South Sulawesi, villagers attacked a precinct after a deadly police raid on alleged gamblers at a wedding party that killed one. The raiders did not come from that precinct, but it was the nearest one to the dead man’s home. Police claim they opened fire because they believed anger among the wedding guests over the gambling arrests put their commander’s life in danger. In fact they seem to have shot wildly in the dark without being able to see what they were shooting at. These incidents are emblematic of a much broader problem; the Indonesian government should stop treating them as isolated incidents. They represent a systemic failure which will continue to undermine the credibility of the police pledge to “serve and protect” the people and encourage further deadly violence unless the underlying causes of community hostility are addressed. Details: Brussels, Belgium: International Crisis Group, 2012. 32p. Source: Crisis Group Asia Report No. 218: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2012 at http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-east-asia/indonesia/218%20Indonesia%20--%20The%20Deadly%20Cost%20of%20Poor%20Policing.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Indonesia URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-east-asia/indonesia/218%20Indonesia%20--%20The%20Deadly%20Cost%20of%20Poor%20Policing.pdf Shelf Number: 124161 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of ForcePolice-Community RelationsPolicing (Indonesia) |
Author: Diaz-Cayeros, Alberto Title: Living in Fear: Social Penetration of Criminal Organizations in Mexico Summary: Citizens in Mexico are trapped in between two illegitimate forces { the criminal organizations and the police who are supposed to protect them. Through the use of list experiments within the Survey on Public Safety and Governance in Mexico (SPSGM), we measure the pervasiveness of drug gang activity as it pertains to strategies of coercion (extortion) and co- optation (offering help) to ordinary citizens. The paper seeks to provide a better understanding of which groups are most vulnerable and where is it that drug gangs have become most embedded in society. Our findings suggest that although narcotra cantes extort citizens the most in high violence regions and the police does so in low violence ones, both forms of extortion are present everywhere in Mexico. This has triggered a spiral of fear: drug gangs signal unambiguously that they are in control, they overtly operate in many of Mexico's localities, while the police can't credibly signal that they can regain control of the streets. Police corruption is hence an essen- tial part of the story of Mexico's violence. Ever more fearful citizens have turned to the narcos for help, we demonstrate, and hence many tacitly {or even openly{ support them. Public strategies emphasizing military action and harsh treatment might not affect the social embeddedness that protects drug gangs and criminal organizations, even though it is a necessary action in the short-run. Instead, enhancing citizen trust within communities by effectively cleaning the police forces while improving the adjudication of justice are more likely to strengthen the social fabric. Details: San Diego: Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California, San Diego, 2011. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 3, 2012 at: http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/001/502967.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Mexico URL: http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/001/502967.pdf Shelf Number: 124810 Keywords: Criminal CartelsDrug ViolenceGangsOrganized Crime (Mexico)Police Corruption |
Author: Shifter, Michael Title: Countering Criminal Violence in Central America Summary: Violent crime in Central America—particularly in the "northern triangle" of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala—is reaching breathtaking levels. Murder rates in the region are among the highest in the world. To a certain extent, Central America's predicament is one of geography—it is sandwiched between some of the world's largest drug producers in South America and the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs, the United States. The region is awash in weapons and gunmen, and high rates of poverty ensure substantial numbers of willing recruits for organized crime syndicates. Weak, underfunded, and sometimes corrupt governments struggle to keep up with the challenge. Though the United States has offered substantial aid to Central American efforts to address criminal violence, it also contributes to the problem through its high levels of drug consumption, relatively relaxed gun control laws, and deportation policies that have sent home more than a million illegal migrants with violent records. In this Council Special Report, sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, Michael Shifter assesses the causes and consequences of the violence faced by several Central American countries and examines the national, regional, and international efforts intended to curb its worst effects. Guatemala, for example, is still healing from a thirty-six-year civil war; guns and armed groups remain common. El Salvador's ironfisted response to widespread gang violence has transformed its prisons into overcrowded gang-recruiting centers while doing little to reduce crime. Even relatively wealthy countries like Costa Rica and Panama are threatened by poor police capacity and significant problems with smuggling and money laundering. Virtually all countries are further plagued by at least some level of public corruption. While hard-hitting or even militarized responses to criminal violence often enjoy broad public support, Shifter writes, Nicaragua's experience with crime prevention programs like community policing and job training for youth suggests that other approaches can be more effective at curbing crime. Shortages of local funding and expertise remain problematic, however, and only large-scale, national programs can effectively address national-level problems with corruption or the quality of the legal system. Moreover, many of the root causes of the region's violence are transnational—the international trade in drugs, guns, and other contraband being only the most obvious example. Multilateral organizations have stepped in to support national-level responses, as have Central America's neighbors. The UN's flagship effort, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, supports domestic prosecutions of organized criminal gangs and their allies in Guatemala's government. In recent years, the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to efforts to improve regional collaboration on anticrime initiatives; last year they pledged $1.5 billion more over the next few years. Colombia and Mexico have both provided advice and training for Central America's police services and judiciary. The United States is also contributing significant resources. Washington now provides about $100 million annually, targeted mainly at drug interdiction and law enforcement, though some funding also goes toward institutional capacity building and violence protection. Still, much more remains to be done, and Shifter offers several recommendations for U.S. policymakers. Strengthening the judiciary and law enforcement services should, he says, be a central goal; the region's ineffective and corrupt legal systems are severely hampering efforts to curb the violence. He also advocates rethinking U.S. policies that contribute to violence in Central America, including drug laws, gun control policies, and immigration rules regarding violent offenders. Countering Criminal Violence in Central America provides important insights into the varied causes of criminal violence in the region. Its authoritative and nuanced analysis acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of ongoing efforts to address the problem, and it offers thoughtful recommendations on how those efforts might be built on and improved. Despite the daunting complexity of the challenges underpinning the region's growing violence, this report successfully argues that this trend can—and should—be reversed. Details: Washington, DC: Council on Foreign Relations, 2012. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Council Special Report No. 64: Accessed April 4, 2012 at: http://www.cfr.org/central-america/countering-criminal-violence-central-america/p27740 Year: 2012 Country: Central America URL: http://www.cfr.org/central-america/countering-criminal-violence-central-america/p27740 Shelf Number: 124814 Keywords: Drug TraffickingGangsGun ViolenceHomicidesPolice CorruptionViolence (Central America)Violent Crime |
Author: Victoria. Office of Police Integrity Title: Reporting Wrongdoing in the Workplace: Problems for Police Summary: This report examines the application of the current legislative and policy framework for police reporting police wrongdoing. The topic is of particular importance to police because they – unlike any other public sector employees in Victoria – are compelled by legislation to report serious misconduct by their colleagues. The legislative framework for police reporting police wrongdoing is made up of certain sections of the Police Regulation Act 1958, the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 and the Police Integrity Act 2008. The historical origins of the framework indicate that it was intended to protect individuals who report wrongdoing and to facilitate organisational improvement by uncovering and remedying workplace problems. Provisions to protect police who report their colleagues’ wrongdoing were established on the basis that there is a risk of reprisal for those who report. That risk is not unique to police. However, various inquiries into police corruption in past decades, both in Australia and elsewhere, have identified a culture of misguided solidarity among police. This has given the risk of reprisal particular relevance to police. The framework for police reporting wrongdoing in the workplace is complex and confusing. Victoria Police has had difficulty classifying wrongdoing under differing legislative definitions. This has affected the quality and consistency of its responses to wrongdoing. It has also resulted in inconsistent outcomes for those who report, in terms of the protections they receive and their perceptions of the organisation’s response to what they reported. It is timely to examine the problems faced by police under the present framework while Victoria’s anti-corruption landscape is undergoing reform. Leaving aside difficulties with the current legislative framework, representatives of Victoria Police say the negative culture that denigrates police who report wrongdoing in the workplace has reduced over time. OPI investigations indicate a significant proportion of police are prepared to speak up when workplace wrongdoing occurs, suggesting that some very negative perceptions of police culture might be unfair or outdated. Despite this, OPI investigations suggest there is still a significant proportion of police who are unlikely to speak up about wrongdoing. The legislated protections against retaliation do not address the root cause of reprisal – a workplace culture of misguided loyalty. The protections are individualistic and short-term, tending to ‘look after’ victims and potential victims of reprisal rather than address why reprisal occurs in the first place. Such an approach to reprisal can inhibit organisational improvement in response to wrongdoing, which undermines the value of reporting it at all. If Victoria Police does not or cannot make improvements in response to reports of wrongdoing then the process of reporting provides little value. OPI does not recommend withdrawing either the requirement for police to report wrongdoing in the workplace or the formal protections against reprisal. So long as reprisal does occur, Victoria Police should apply sanctions for retaliation to the full extent of the law. But formal compulsions and protections are no substitute for a culture that actively supports speaking up against wrongdoing in the workplace. The current framework is an improvement on a culture of silence where no one can or will speak up about wrongdoing. But individualistic and short-term protections are not the ultimate goal. Ideally, the Victoria Police workplace will be one in which individuals who speak up about wrongdoing are fully supported – then they will have no need of protection. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2012. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2012 at: http://www.opi.vic.gov.au/ Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.opi.vic.gov.au/ Shelf Number: 125452 Keywords: Blue Code of SilencePolice CorruptionPolice Misconduct (Australia)Whistleblowing |
Author: Prenzler, Tim Title: Rethinking Police Gifts and Benefits Policies Summary: This paper reviews policing policies and practices on the receipt of gratuities, and considers when and how such gifts may be considered to impair police integrity and reputation. The acceptance of gifts and benefits – or ‘gratuities’ – has been described as ‘a police image problem that doesn’t seem to go away’ . This assertion was borne out recently in the ‘phone hacking scandal’ in the United Kingdom, when the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police resigned following allegations that officers were compromised in their investigations by improper associations with newspaper executives and reporters; including acceptance of lunches, other hospitality and gifts. The scandal prompted a review of standards related to police relationships by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, which concluded, amongst other things, that policies on gifts and benefits were under-developed and under-enforced, and that a nationally consistent approach was needed. On a smaller scale, a recent corruption inquiry in Queensland – ‘Operation Tesco’ – revealed improper associations between police and criminals, facilitated in part through officers frequenting licensed premises while off duty, enjoying free entry and free drinks. These cases highlight how wider scandals or controversies over police conduct often bring lower level integrity issues to light, such as acceptance of gifts and benefits. For many people, the most prominent examples are likely to be half-price meals offered by fast food outlets. However, the practice can include free entry to nightclubs and sporting venues, free or subsidised travel for police on public transport, and gifts to procurement officers by companies tendering for police business. With these issues in mind, this CEPS Briefing Paper reviews the available research on the topic. The conclusions are that police acceptance of gifts and hospitality (however worthy or innocent the intention of the donors) can adversely affect the fair and impartial delivery of police services. The practice also has a strongly negative effect on public perceptions of police integrity and public confidence in police. A strict policy regime is required that prohibits anything other than the most minor gratuities offered on an incidental basis in circumstances where no obligation or expectation can be implied or perceived. Standards need to be clarified and communicated, and backed up by strict and consistent enforcement. A ‘disciplinary matrix’ is recommended as the most likely means of ensuring compliance through a graduated response to incidents of non-compliance. Details: Nathan, QLD: ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security, Griffith University, 2012. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper, Issue 14: Accessed August 16, 2012 at: http://www.ceps.edu.au/CMS/Uploads/file/issue%2014%20Rethinking%20Police%20Gifts%20and%20benefits%20policiesWEB.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.ceps.edu.au/CMS/Uploads/file/issue%2014%20Rethinking%20Police%20Gifts%20and%20benefits%20policiesWEB.pdf Shelf Number: 126043 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice GratuitiesPolice IntegrityPolice Misconduct |
Author: International Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Title: Police Accountability: Too Important to Neglect, Too Urgent to Delay Summary: Some of the best policing in the world is found in the Commonwealth, and also some of the worst. But by and large, its 1.8 billion people do not have the policing they deserve. Police reform is too important to neglect and too urgent to delay. In too many countries, governments are failing in their primary duty to provide the public with an honest, efficient, effective police service that ensures the rule of law and an environment of safety and security. Today, membership to the Commonwealth is premised on countries practising democracy - and democratic governance requires democratic policing. The only legitimate policing is policing that helps create an environment free from fear and conducive to the realisation of people's human rights, particularly those that promote unfettered political activity, which is the hallmark of a democracy. Nevertheless, barring a few honourable exceptions, there is too much wrong with policing in the Commonwealth for the association and its member states to persist in closing their eyes to the fact that the continued presence of unreformed policing - powerful, unaccountable, coercive, biased, and corrupt - remains a badge of a long gone colonial subservience rather than a mark of confident sovereignty. Common colonial antecedents provide Commonwealth police structures a core resemblance but post-colonial histories have shaped present day policing in each country. The strengths and capabilities of police in the Commonwealth are now as diverse as the association itself. Sizes vary from less than 500 in tiny Dominica to more than a million in India. More importantly, population to police ratios vary: in South Africa for instance, there is one police officer per 404 people1; whereas in Bangladesh, it's one officer for every 1,200 people2. Some have huge financial and human resources to back them, while others must struggle to afford even basic stationery. Some - for example, Nigeria, Kenya and Canada - usually carry no lethal arms while others like South Africa, Jamaica, Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland routinely go armed. Some, like Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Fiji are strongly centralised while others are decentralised to state, provincial or local levels, such as Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK). Some countries have a combination of national, state and local police forces. Canada and Australia, for instance, both have a federal police organisation, as well as state-level police organisations and Canada also has municipal police organisations. South Africa has one national police service and five separate municipal police services. India has 35 police forces and a proliferating number of paramilitaries and specialist forces, some directly under the control of the states while the ones at the centre fall under central government control. The evolution of policing values has also been influenced by individual national histories. In a few countries policing has benefited from relative affluence and long unbroken periods of peace and stability. Elsewhere policing has been negatively influenced by long periods of dictatorship, apartheid, one party rule, coups, internal conflicts, overweening executives, militarisation and politicisation and everywhere policing is now being shaped by the recent preoccupation with terrorism. But perhaps above all, poor policing in unreformed jurisdictions has been perpetuated and even fostered by the temptation of ruling regimes - elected or self-perpetuating - to retain a force wholly in its control and designed to suppress opponents and dissent with a heavy hand. Such police have proved especially valuable apparatus in retaining power at election time when rivalries and threat perceptions are heightened. The regime bias in policing has helped ruling elites topple governments as has happened in the Solomon Islands, retain them in the Maldives and assist in keeping them safe from challenge in many more. Details: New Delhi: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 2005. 116p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/chogm/chogm_2005/chogm_2005_full_report.pdf Year: 2005 Country: International URL: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/chogm/chogm_2005/chogm_2005_full_report.pdf Shelf Number: 114626 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolicing (Commonwealth Nations) |
Author: Victorian Ombudsman Title: Investigation into Allegations of Improper Conduct Involving Victoria Police Summary: July 2011, I received a disclosure from a whistleblower alleging that Mr Simon Overland, in exercising his powers of superintendence and control of Victoria Police during his time as Chief Commissioner, did so in a manner that fell within one or more of the categories of ‘corrupt conduct’ in section 3 of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 (the WPA). The disclosure included: • Mr Overland, by: • accepting a temporary membership from the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC); • accepting other offers of corporate hospitality; and • allowing and accepting behaviour of Victoria Police employees regarding the acceptance of gifts and benefits; adversely affected the honest performance of functions of Victoria Police employees regarding the acceptance of gifts and benefits. • Mr Overland (and others within Victoria Police) performed and allowed the performance of certain employment functions with inappropriate partiality including: • the reappointment of a superintendent; • an unnecessary and unethical termination payment to a senior executive; and • preferential treatment of two superintendents under investigation. 8. The WPA is designed to encourage disclosures of improper conduct about public officers and bodies and to provide protections for persons who make those disclosures. The Ombudsman’s role under the WPA includes determining, subject to specific provisions of the WPA, whether a matter requires investigation, and conducting or overseeing investigations. 9. Under the WPA, I may only investigate a disclosure if I determine that the matter is a public interest disclosure. To be a public interest disclosure, I must be satisfied that a person: • believes on reasonable grounds; and • the disclosure shows or tends to show that a public officer or body has, is, or proposes to engage in improper conduct in their capacity as a public officer or public body. 10. Improper conduct in the WPA is defined as: • corrupt conduct; • a substantial mismanagement of public resources; • or a substantial risk to public health and safety or the environment. This conduct must also, if proven, constitute a criminal offence or reasonable grounds for dismissal. 11. I considered that the conduct of Mr Overland, if proven, would have been reasonable grounds for the termination of his appointment as Chief Commissioner when he occupied this position. I therefore considered that this disclosure was a public interest disclosure. 12. This report details the results of my investigation into the public interest disclosure. Other allegations were also included in the disclosure although I have not considered it appropriate or in the public interest to report those allegations to the Parliament. I have, however, included the results of my investigation in relation to those matters in my separate report to the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police made pursuant to section 63A of the WPA. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2012. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2012 at: http://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Allegations_of_improper_conduct_-_Victoria_Police.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Allegations_of_improper_conduct_-_Victoria_Police.pdf Shelf Number: 126890 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct (Australia) |
Author: Zschoche, Ruth Title: A Multilevel Model of Police Corruption: Anomie, Decoupling, and Moral Disengagement Summary: Police corruption is a primary concern for law enforcement agencies. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that could predict the likelihood of police officer susceptibility to corruption. Data was collected through surveys of 1083 officers within eight U.S. police agencies that were participating in the National Police Research Platform funded by the National Institute of Justice. The data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation and base multilevel models. The theoretical model for this study addressed susceptibility to corruption on both the departmental (clusters) and individual officer levels. Four main constructs were utilized in this study. Acceptance of deviant norms was the outcome variable operationalizing susceptibility to corruption. Anomie was a departmental predictor operationalizing expectations that socially accepted goals could not be accomplished through socially acceptable means. Decoupling was a departmental predictor measuring the extent to which departmental pragmatic goals were out of alignment with official ethical codes. Moral disengagement was the individual predictor operationalizing the ability to use cognitive mechanisms to excuse unethical decision-making. Departments higher in anomie and decoupling were hypothesized to have higher acceptance of deviant norms that condone corruption. Officers with higher levels of moral disengagement were also expected to have a greater acceptance of deviant norms. The departmental environment was expected to have more influence than individual officer traits such that anomie and decoupling would moderate the effects of moral disengagement within departments. The results demonstrated the promise of the multilevel theoretical model. Anomie was a strong predictor of acceptance of deviant norms. Moral disengagement was also a moderately strong predictor of acceptance of deviant norms in the base multilevel models. Anomie moderated the effect of moral disengagement to some degree, although it had no impact on the slope between acceptance of deviant norms and moral disengagement. Differences between departmental subgroups indicated how officer assignments and demographic characteristics may impact susceptibility to corruption. Study limitations related primarily to the multilevel structural equation model, scale construction, and sampling. Limitations are addressed as regards their general relevance to theory and methodology. Implications of the results for policy and future research are discussed. Details: Tampa, FL: Department of Criminology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of South Florida, 2011. 283p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4617&context=etd Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4617&context=etd Shelf Number: 127097 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Wilkinson, Peter Title: Benchmarking Police Integrity Programmes Summary: The ‘Benchmarking Police Integrity Programmes’ report sets out TI-UK’s views on what constitutes good organisational integrity practice and how this could be applied to the police. The paper then comments on how the ACPO review, ‘Managing Police Integrity’, compared with TI-UK’s view on good practice. It identifies recommendations for improvement in policy integrity programmes. The core finding identified in TI-UK’s report is that there is considerable variability in the quality of integrity systems and governance in police forces in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. ACPO therefore needs to ensure that: • common standards, that are robust, clear and consistent, are embedded across Forces; • those standards should be characterised by clarity and consistency. In addition, TI-UK made eight other recommendations: • Model integrity code: ACPO should build on its work in developing a model police integrity code supported by tools and resources to be applied in a consistent manner across Forces; • Clarity and consistency: All those who manage integrity programmes or are governed by them should be able to easily understand their roles, obligations, procedures and rights, and the integrity programmes should also be clear to the public and other stakeholders; • Positive integrity management: ACPO should assist Forces to move from a reactive approach to a stance of active promotion of integrity, based on the principle of zero tolerance of corruption; • Common systems: Forces should implement common robust systems supported by guidance and tools to ensure that risks are identified, monitored, and managed; • Governance: ACPO must consider how necessary independent oversight can be brought into and embedded within the governance process; • Disciplinary measures: Further consideration should be given to disciplinary measures in the context of The Police (Conduct) Arrangements of 2008 - a good practice integrity programme should be founded on a zero tolerance approach to integrity violations. Any relaxation of disciplinary measures could undermine an effective integrity programme; • Public reporting: ACPO should take the lead in developing a common nation-wide standard for public reporting by Forces; • Comprehensive and continuous approach to risk assessment: The risk assessment process should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that the process is robust, comprehensive and up-to-date in capturing emerging or changing risks such as those related to outsourcing, procurement, secondary employment and post-service employment. Details: London: Transparency International UK, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://www.transparency.org.uk/our-work/publications/10-publications/473-benchmarking-police-integrity-programmes Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.transparency.org.uk/our-work/publications/10-publications/473-benchmarking-police-integrity-programmes Shelf Number: 127421 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Integrity(U.K.)Police Misconduct |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Police Reform in Kenya: "A Drop in the Ocean" Summary: Kenya is in the midst of an ambitious reform programme, including wholesale reform of its police force, and as the country approaches the March 2013 general elections, the sense of urgency around the implementation of police reform is palpable. Laws passed in 2011 contain an ambitious framework for police reform, which, if fully implemented would overhaul the structure of the police force to address shortcomings which permit and perpetuate impunity for police abuses, establish an independent police oversight authority for the first time and new standards of conduct for the police. However, while some measures have been undertaken, many of the most important reforms have yet to be carried forward raising concerns of a lack of political will to implement the reform agenda. The Acts guiding the police reform have not been put into practice in time for the general elections. As a result, the very same policing structures blamed by many for serious human rights violations during the 2007-2008 post-election violence remain in place for the 2013 elections. The lack of progress in implementing the reform agenda increases the risk of human rights abuses and limits the preparedness of the police to handle such abuses in a fair and effective manner. The police were incapable of preventing, containing and managing the 2007-2008 post-election violence and some police actively engaged in human rights violations. In this report, Amnesty International urges the Government of Kenya to fully commit to the police reform process. By taking immediate steps ahead of the March 2013 elections, and by prioritizing the implementation of reform immediately after the elections, the Government of Kenya can finally end the impunity which the police have enjoyed for far too long. It must not miss this opportunity. Details: London: Amnesty International, 2013. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2013 at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR32/001/2013/en/9c3fb77e-16e2-49e0-94ec-d3c9f0e9f9e2/afr320012013en.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Kenya URL: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR32/001/2013/en/9c3fb77e-16e2-49e0-94ec-d3c9f0e9f9e2/afr320012013en.pdf Shelf Number: 127650 Keywords: PolicePolice AdministrationPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolicing (Kenya) |
Author: Newman, Gareth Title: Policing in South Africa: 2010 and Beyond. Conference Report Summary: This conference report focuses on the links between civil society and the police. The authors argue that there is a need to reconsider policing and connect it more to society. Crime is seen as a societal problem which can only be effectively combated when different societal actors are mobilized and when the interests of citizens are taken seriously. Issues addressed included: Police corruption; Policing the FIFA World Cup; Use of deadly force by policing; Police reform; and Community policing and policing partnerships. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2011. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2013 at: http://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf Shelf Number: 128337 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice CorruptionPolice ReformPolice Use of ForcePolicing (South Africa) |
Author: Patel, Faiza Title: A Proposal for an NYPD Inspector General Summary: Over the last decade, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), like state and local law enforcement agencies around the country, has become increasingly involved in collecting counterterrorism intelligence. But the NYPD’s counterterrorism and intelligence gathering operations are unique among municipal police departments, both in size and character. The magnitude of these operations vastly exceeds that of similar efforts in other major cities: In 2010, the NYPD’s budget for counterterrorism and intelligence was over $100 million and the two divisions reportedly employed 1000 officers. Equally important, while New York City police cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on counterterrorism matters, they also conduct intelligence operations and investigations completely separate from federal authorities. The creation of this stand-alone capability was a stated goal of Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, and is an accomplishment frequently highlighted by the Department. Unlike the FBI and other national intelligence agencies, the NYPD’s sizable counterterrorism and intelligence operations operate largely free from independent oversight. Currently, oversight of the NYPD – as conducted by the Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau, the Commission to Combat Police Corruption and the Civilian Complaint Review Board – focuses almost exclusively on police corruption and individual police misconduct. The City-wide Department of Investigation similarly focuses on corruption, incompetence, and misconduct in 300 municipal agencies and, in any event, does not cover the police. The City Council has supervisory jurisdiction over the police, but has rarely examined its intelligence operations. Control mechanisms established by a 1980s consent decree largely have been eliminated. In the federal system, Congressional supervision informed by reports from independent inspectors general has been a crucial tool for increasing transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in the realm of intelligence and counterterrorism. This oversight system was developed in the wake of the 1970s Congressional investigations into the FBI’s and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) illegal collection of intelligence about Americans, and both agencies have operated for decades under its strictures. Even after the September 11th attacks, this system continues to function well and has, in fact, been strengthened. The FBI, in particular, has benefitted from a robust inspector general who has contributed to the effectiveness of its counterterrorism programs through reviews of issues ranging from the need for the Bureau to develop a comprehensive risk assessment of the terrorist threat to its use of the new intelligence techniques that have been authorized over the last decade. Given that the NYPD has built an intelligence and counterterrorism capability more in line with the FBI than a traditional urban police force, it is time to build an oversight structure that is appropriate for its size and functions. An independent inspector general should be established for the NYPD. This would be an enormous step forward for police accountability and oversight for several reasons: • ENSURING TRANSPARENCY – The inspector general would be in a position to make policing more transparent, thus allowing the Mayor and the City Council to better exercise their oversight responsibilities and increase public confidence in policing. Reliable information about how policies and legal constraints are implemented is especially important in the context of intelligence operations, the specifics of which are often necessarily concealed. • PROTECTING CIVIL LIBERTIES – As the NYPD continues its important work of keeping New Yorkers safe, the inspector general would have the mandate, expertise, and perspective to make sure that it does so consistent with our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. • REFORMING FROM WITHIN – The inspector general would be in a position to work with the police cooperatively to address any problems in the Department’s operations and to keep track of progress. Details: New York: Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: http://www.brennancenter.org/publication/proposal-nypd-inspector-general Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.brennancenter.org/publication/proposal-nypd-inspector-general Shelf Number: 128363 Keywords: Counter-TerrorismIntelligence GatheringPolice (New York City, U.S.)Police CorruptionPolice MisconductStop and Frisk |
Author: Williams, R. Seth Title: Toolkit on Police Integrity Summary: The Toolkit on Police Integrity aims to assist police services in designing effective measures to curb police corruption, increasing their ability to fight crime, improving public security and strengthening the rule of law and public trust in the police. The Toolkit contains nine chapters. 1.Introduction: corruption and policing 2.Values, rules and behaviour 3.Organisation 4.Supporting police officers facing ethical questions 5.Internal control 6.External oversight and control 7.Investigation 8.Capacity building 9.Instruments Details: Geneva, SWIT: DCAF, 2012. 373p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2014 at: http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Toolkit-on-Police-Integrity Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Toolkit-on-Police-Integrity Shelf Number: 131831 Keywords: Police Behavior Police CorruptionPolice Ethics Police Integrity |
Author: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces Title: Toolkit on Police Integrity Summary: The Toolkit on Police Integrity aims to assist police services in designing effective measures to curb police corruption, increasing their ability to fight crime, improving public security and strengthening the rule of law and public trust in the police. The Toolkit contains nine chapters. 1.Introduction: corruption and policing 2.Values, rules and behaviour 3.Organisation 4.Supporting police officers facing ethical questions 5.Internal control 6.External oversight and control 7.Investigation 8.Capacity building 9.Instruments Details: Geneva, SWIT: DCAF, 2012. 373p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2014 at: http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Toolkit-on-Police-Integrity Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Toolkit-on-Police-Integrity Shelf Number: 131831 Keywords: Police Behavior Police CorruptionPolice Ethics Police Integrity |
Author: Dinning, Brooke Title: Project Cyril: Using the NSW Police Force Complaints System to Identify System Problems and Solutions Summary: In addition to providing a mechanism for determining whether or not there is evidence an individual officer has engaged in misconduct or criminal offences, the effective investigation and analysis of complaints can enable police agencies to identify systemic or organisational factors which may have contributed to the conduct under investigation. Research & Issues Paper no. 10 looks at how the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) complaints system is used to identify system problems and develop solutions so as to prevent future misconduct. Such solutions include improving policies, procedures, training, and communication and management practices. This paper contains the Commission's recommendations as to how the identification of system problems and solutions through the NSWPF complaints system may be improved. Details: Sydney: NSW Police Integrity Commission, 2014. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Research and Issues Paper, no. 10: Accessed March 11, 2014 at: http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Project%20Cyril%20Research%20&%20Issues%20Paper.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Project%20Cyril%20Research%20&%20Issues%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 131848 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: Meyer, Maureen Title: Mexico's Police: Many Reforms, Little Progress Summary: This report provides an overview of police reform efforts over the past two decades and examines why, in spite of multiple initiatives, Mexican police forces continue to be abusive and corrupt. In the context of the ongoing security crisis in parts of Mexico, the study argues that a failure to increase efforts to hold Mexico's police accountable for their actions will only perpetuate a vicious pattern of police abuse and a climate of mistrust between the police and the population. The study assesses the sweeping changes made to the criminal justice system in recent years and evaluates federal initiatives to support state and municipal police reform, vet all police forces through the confidence control (control de confianza) and evaluation system, and strengthen oversight mechanisms, such as Internal Affairs Units. Although Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has promised a new security strategy in order to reduce violence and recover citizen trust in police forces, the report shows that his administration has largely maintained the initiatives and police model that were put into place during the Calderon administration. The report contends that while much has been done to reform Mexico's police, establishing strong internal and external controls has not been a priority for the Mexican government. This has meant that agents implicated in wrongdoing - from acts of corruption to grave human rights violations - have little incentive to change their actions, because the odds are slim that they will ever be investigated and sanctioned. Details: Washington, DC: Washington Office on Latin America, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2014 at: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Mexicos%20Police.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Mexicos%20Police.pdf Shelf Number: 132310 Keywords: Police BrutalityPolice CorruptionPolice ReformPolicing (Mexico) |
Author: Chapman, Chip Title: An Independent Review of the Police Disciplinary System in England and Wales Summary: There is a danger that another report on police discipline is seen as no more than a Potemkin village. The status quo always has an army to protect it. I was tasked by the Home Secretary to put forward proposals for a reformed police disciplinary system that is clear, public-focussed, transparent and more independent. The terms of the review included giving consideration to both the police and staff systems and how they might be brought more closely together. Police performance, conduct and misconduct (including what arises from the complaints procedure) have been surveyed and scanned more than most other aspects of policing. This is not just in England and Wales, but in almost all those jurisdictions around the world that follow a similar policing inheritance to the UK, and those that aspire to our level of legitimacy. This report follows in the footsteps of, for example, the Morris Report (2004) and the Taylor Report (2005). There are consistent themes in all previous reports in all jurisdictions. These include: - A requirement to harmonise the disciplinary arrangements, as far as possible, with those of other public sector employers. - Balancing the focus of sanctions between punitive and rehabilitative action. - A requirement for the lowest level decision-making in disciplinary matters. - A requirement to formally link managerial and disciplinary systems. - A requirement to speed up processes with simple systems. - A requirement to streamline dismissal procedures. - A requirement to streamline review and appeals procedures. I have attempted to navigate within these themes. "The police service is constantly in the news, often glamorised, often vilified" : not my words but of those debating the last Royal Commission in to policing in 1962.1 The Royal Commission followed a number of high profile scandals that might also resonate in 2014. A key change from 1962 has been the decentralisation of control and accountability back to the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) via the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. In business process terms, this is akin to the relationship between the "Chairman" of a Board (the PCC) and the "CEO" (Chief Officer) and defines where leadership and managerial accountability should lie at that level. I have been mindful of this distinction and the need to allow police forces "to manage their business" as one would expect of a CEO. It is right that authority and responsibility should predominantly lie with the police leadership: what is then done with those two features is even more important. Where there are recommendations that counter this, it is because of the need for transparency, removal of opaqueness or the requirement for increased trust by the public in the internal mechanisms of the police disciplinary system. That is, helping the police to help themselves. At the heart of the issue throughout this report is not discipline at all: it is the sum of governance, leadership, management, ethos, ethics, training, culture and behaviours. With the time constraints allocated to me, I have not been able to delve in to all of these areas as I might have liked. Details: London: UK Government, 2014. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 22, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385911/An_Independent_Review_of_the_Police_Disciplinary_System_-_Report_-_Final....pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385911/An_Independent_Review_of_the_Police_Disciplinary_System_-_Report_-_Final....pdf Shelf Number: 134437 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct (U.K.) |
Author: Pyman, Mark Title: Arresting corruption in the police. The global experience of police corruption reform efforts Summary: This report is the result of a survey of global experience of police anti-corruption reforms. It analyses police corruption and looks at reforms that were undertaken to tackle it. The report offers a way to analyse police corruption more systematically through a 'police typology', and looks at examples of police reform in 10 countries around the globe: Australia, Afghanistan, China, Georgia, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Serbia, Singapore, and Venezuela. Details: London: Transparency International, UK, 2012. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://issuu.com/tidefence/docs/2012-11_arrestingcorruptioninpolice Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://issuu.com/tidefence/docs/2012-11_arrestingcorruptioninpolice Shelf Number: 135137 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice MisconductPolice Reform |
Author: South African Institute of Race Relations Title: Broken Blue Line 2: The Involvement of the South African Police Service in Serious and Violent Crime in South Africa Summary: This is the second report of the Broken Blue Line project - the first having been published by the IRR in 2011. As in 2011 this 2015 report examines the extent to which the police are involved in perpetrating criminal violence. There should be no need for such a report as the police should be our primary line of defence against criminal violence. However, as you will read, in too many cases that line of defence has broken down and the supposed defenders have become perpetrators. As long as the police service remains a home to violent criminals it is very unlikely that South Africa will experience a sustained and significant decline in serious and violent crime. It is essential therefore that pressure be brought to bear on political authorities to take police criminality seriously and deal with it effectively. Creating such pressure is also one of the most effective means by which South Africa can support the efforts of hard working and committed members of the police service. Details: Johannesburg: IRR, 2015. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://irr.org.za/reports-and-publications/occasional-reports/files/broken-blue-line-2-february-2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa URL: http://irr.org.za/reports-and-publications/occasional-reports/files/broken-blue-line-2-february-2015.pdf Shelf Number: 135732 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of Force |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: City Blues: Corruption and Corruption Management in South Africa's Metropolitan Police Departments Summary: Police in South Africa are increasingly perceived as being corrupt. Research indicates that corruption is especially prevalent in the area of traffic regulation enforcement which, in the major urban centres, is primarily the responsibility of Metropolitan Police Departments (MPDs). As organs of local municipal councils, MPDs are also responsible for general crime prevention and crowd management, as well as other joint duties with the South African Police Service (SAPS). Metro Police Departments are set up and structured in partnership with local councils under relevant national legislation. From one local council to the next there is scope for considerable variation in approach to matters, including the control of corruption. This paper sheds light on how corruption (or 'integrity management' as it is sometimes called) is approached within each of the six major metro police departments. Section 1 gives background on corruption among metropolitan police generally and reviews relevant survey data. Section 2 gives a detailed profile of each of the departments and their approaches to corruption management. The last section sums up and compares the various approaches to controlling corruption and offers suggestions on how this could be improved. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 170: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/31193/1/PAPER170.pdf?1 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa URL: http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/31193/1/PAPER170.pdf?1 Shelf Number: 135877 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice Misconduct |
Author: Roth, Lenny Title: External oversight of police conduct Summary: The importance of having a system of external oversight of police conduct was highlighted by the Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service in the mid-1990s. The external oversight model that has been in place in NSW since that time has involved two key agencies: the NSW Ombudsman, which primarily oversees the way in which NSW Police deals with complaints, and the Police Integrity Commission, which investigates serious police misconduct as well as overseeing the way in which other agencies investigate such misconduct. In recent times, the effectiveness of this system has been called into question. In February 2015, a Legislative Council Select Committee report referred to "dysfunction" within the system and recommended that a further committee inquiry be held on reforming the system, "with a view to establishing a single, well-resourced police oversight body". The NSW Government has since appointed former Shadow Attorney-General, Andrew Tink, to review the police oversight system, including examining options for a single civilian oversight model. The terms of reference for the review were released on 21 May and Mr Tink has been asked to report by 31 August 2015. This paper revisits the Wood Royal Commission report, examines the current system in NSW, and discusses the many reviews of the system that have taken place over the past decade. It also outlines the police oversight models in other Australian jurisdictions and in the United Kingdom. In summary: - The Commonwealth has a very similar model to NSW. South Australia also has a multi-agency model but it comprises a Police Ombudsman and the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (this system is also currently under review). - Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia have a single agency model, in the form of a general anti-corruption commission. - In England and Wales, there is a single agency, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which was set up in 2004 and investigates serious complaints and critical incidents. Reports have expressed concern at the IPCC's lack of resources and the effectiveness of the complaints. Details: Sydney: NSW Parliamentary Research Service, 2015. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper No. 6/2015: Accessed July 13, 2015 at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/74D5A9F61C454021CA257E5B001EF114/$File/External%20oversight%20of%20police%20conduct.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/74D5A9F61C454021CA257E5B001EF114/$File/External%20oversight%20of%20police%20conduct.pdf Shelf Number: 136016 Keywords: Complaints Against the PolicePolice CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice MisconductPolice Oversight |
Author: Hagedorn, John M. Title: Crime, Corruption and Cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department Summary: The Chicago Police Department has a legacy of both heroism and corruption. On the one hand, the department's officers risk their lives on a daily basis to enforce the law, protect the public and preserve the peace. On the other hand, Chicago has a checkered history of police scandals and an embarrassingly long list of police officers who have crossed the line to engage in brutality, corruption and criminal activity. An analysis of five decades of news reports reveals that since 1960, a total of 295 Chicago Police officers have been convicted of serious crimes, such as drug dealing, beatings of civilians, destroying evidence, protecting mobsters, theft and murder. Moreover, the listing of police convicted of crimes undoubtedly underestimates the problem of corruption in the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The list does not include undetected and unreported illegal activity, serious misconduct resulting in internal disciplinary action, and officers who retire rather than face charges. Our analysis of police corruption in Chicago yields four major findings. First, corruption has long persisted within the CPD and continues to be a serious problem. There have been 102 convictions of Chicago police since the beginning of 2000. Second, police officers often resist reporting crimes and misconduct committed by fellow officers. The "blue code of silence," while difficult to prove, is an integral part of the department's culture and it exacerbates the corruption problems. However last November, a federal jury found that the City of Chicago and its police culture were partially responsible for Officer Anthony Abbate's brutal beating of a female bartender. After the civil trial to assess damages, the victim's attorney declared, "We proved a code of silence at every level in the Chicago Police Department." Third, overtime a large portion of police corruption has shifted from policemen aiding and abetting mobsters and organized crime to officers involved with drugs dealers and street gangs. Since the year 2000, a total of 47 Chicago law enforcement officers were convicted of drug and gang related crimes. The department's war on drugs puts police officers, especially those working undercover, in dangerous situations where they must cooperate with criminals to catch criminals. These endeavors require that CPD superiors provide a high degree of leadership and oversight to keep officers on the straight and narrow. Fourth, internal and external sources of authority, including police superintendents and Mayors, have up to now failed to provide adequate anti-corruption oversight and leadership. The case of Lieutenant Jon Burge, Commander of Area 2 Detective Division, accused of torturing suspects to extract confessions is the most notorious, high-profile example of the lack of accountability in the department involving several state's attorneys and mayors. The "blue wall of silence" protected Burge and his many accomplices. Despite numerous courts overturning convictions and several media exposes, the CPD leadership and Mayor's office denied and evaded evidence that Burge and 64 other officers tortured more than 100 African-American suspects over several decades. In addition, dozens, if not hundreds, of police officers, who were present at the stations while the torture occurred or who heard about it from coworkers, failed to report the torture to the proper authorities. The Cook County State's Attorney never prosecuted a single officer for any crimes related to torture. And, there is no evidence that the Police Department ever disciplined any officer for failing to come forward with information about the tortures. Finally, the United States Attorney stepped in and prosecuted Jon Burge. Last year, he was convicted in federal court, not for torture but for lying about it under oath. The dozens of other police officers involved in the torture cases were not prosecuted. By 2012, the statute of limitation had expired. In this report, as well as in the previous six anti-corruption reports published by the Political Science Department, public corruption has been defined as an illegal or unethical act committed by a public official for his or her self interest rather than for the public good. While we relied on a set of 295 criminal convictions of police offices to analyze and classify police corruption, it should be noted that most unethical behavior and non-criminal misconduct also fits the definition of corruption. Also while some non-criminal misconduct committed by individual officers may not its self be "corruption," it is often swept under the rug or covered-upped by the department to avoid embarrassment. Toleration of such misconduct is definitely "corruption." Toleration of corruption, or at least resigned acceptance, appears to be the order of the day for at least the past 50 years. The department's Internal Affairs Division (IAD), the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), Police Board (PB), the department's top brass, the Mayor's office, and State Attorneys have all failed to aggressively and effectively reign in police corruption. In recent years, only the U.S. Attorney's Office has made a serious effort to curb police corruption. Details: Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Political Science, 2013. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Anti-Corruption Report No. 7: http://pols.uic.edu/docs/default-source/chicago_politics/anti-corruption_reports/policecorruption.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://pols.uic.edu/docs/default-source/chicago_politics/anti-corruption_reports/policecorruption.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Shelf Number: 136164 Keywords: Blue Wall of SilencePolice CorruptionPolice EthicsPolice Misconduct |
Author: New South Wales. Police Integrity Commission Title: Operation Winjana Summary: Operation Winjana examined: 1. whether a member of staff of the New South Wales Crime Commission and others associated with him were involved in criminal activity or serious misconduct, and 2. the practices and procedures of the New South Wales Crime Commission in the conduct of actions under the Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990. Details: Sydney: NSW Police Integrity Commission, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2016 at: https://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Winjana%20Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: https://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Winjana%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 138379 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice Ethics Police Integrity Police Misconduct |
Author: New South Wales. Police Integrity Commission Title: Project Mobula: Review of NSW Police Force strategies to identify & manage misconduct risks Summary: Project Mobula, a five-year follow-up to the Commissions Project Manta, examines command practices to determine how well these practices assisted commands to (i) identify and manage their misconduct risks and (ii) provide practical advice to help their officers recognise the misconduct risks they may face and respond appropriately when they encounter such risks. It continues the Commissions focus on NSW Police Force strategies to identify, communicate and manage misconduct risks at the command level, referred to by the NSW Police Force as 'corruption resistance planning'. Like Project Manta, Project Mobula uses an approach to preventing serious officer misconduct that is modelled on the way organisations go about preventing workplace deaths and injuries. The results and observations in Project Mobula are based on a review of 55 sets of corruption resistance plans from a sample of 25 NSW Police Force commands, interviews with 25 command representatives, analysis of three versions of corporate guidelines, and information from Professional Standards Command on how between 2012 and 2015 it has proactively changed the ways it worked with commands to assist them with their corruption resistance planning. Details: Sydney: NSW Police Integrity Commission, 2015. 242p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 24, 2016 at: https://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Project%20Mobula%20Report%202015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: https://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/files/reports/Project%20Mobula%20Report%202015.pdf Shelf Number: 138402 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EthidsPolice MisconductPolicy Integrity |
Author: Australian Federal Police Title: Project APEX: A strategic assessment of corruption risk factors in ACT Policing Summary: This report presents the outcomes of Project Apex - a joint integrity initiative of the Chief Police Officer of ACT Policing and the Integrity Commissioner, involving also the Professional Standards team of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Any investigation of corrupt conduct should involve questioning whether particular observed conduct is a 'one-off' or indicative of a wider problem. For instance, external drivers (such as the economy, organised crime, price of illicit drugs, changes in societal behaviours) or internal factors (such as workplace culture or shortcomings in the integrity framework) are issues to consider. Accordingly, Project Apex sought to establish what is in the ACT Policing 'basket of risks', and which (if any) of these issues might be a cause for concern. It also sought to identify how resilient (or 'pressure-sensitive') the AFP's integrity framework is in withstanding the identified risks. This Project Apex report is a point-in-time picture of ACT Policing's exposure to corruption risk factors, having regard to past, current and emerging issues. A key issue was to find ways to 'read the prevailing culture on the ground'. Accordingly, the report also sets out various risk analysis methods and tools, developed during the project. The Project Apex Team comprised experienced corruption prevention, intelligence and operational staff from the AFP and the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. It found that ACT Policing is professional and ethical, and aims to have a high level of corruption awareness and a strong commitment to professional standards. In addition, the AFP's integrity framework and anti-corruption measures provide a robust platform to assist ACT Policing in managing the integrity risks that arise from its law enforcement functions. However, corruption risk - like organised crime - is dynamic and changes in response to the environment. Drivers for corrupt conduct will continue to emerge, and must be anticipated and dealt with. As with comparable police forces, ACT Policing needs to maintain its vigilance against corruption, and continue to be adaptable in identifying and responding to corruption risks. The Project Apex Team found that, presently, the main integrity risk in ACT Policing concerns opportunistic corruption (individual susceptibility) and situational corruption (misplaced loyalties). This finding implies that the best defences will be: - supervisors (the 'front-line' of corruption control) who are alert to the signs that corrupt conduct may be occurring and well-placed to exercise control over the working environment; - heightening staff awareness of risk-taking behaviour which may be an 'early warning' sign of susceptibility to corruption or other misconduct; and - fair processes and robust checking mechanisms. Details: Canberra: ACLEI, 2014. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2016 at: https://www.aclei.gov.au/sites/g/files/net846/f/documents/Reports%20submissions%20and%20speeches/Project%20Apex%20A%20strategic%20assessment%20of%20corruption%20risk%20factors%20in%20ACT%20Policing%20a%20joint%20project%20by%20ACLEI%20and%20the%20AFP.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: https://www.aclei.gov.au/sites/g/files/net846/f/documents/Reports%20submissions%20and%20speeches/Project%20Apex%20A%20strategic%20assessment%20of%20corruption%20risk%20factors%20in%20ACT%20Policing%20a%20joint%20project%20by% Shelf Number: 138636 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice Misconduct |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Civil Rights Division Title: Investigation of the Newark Police Department Summary: The Justice Department announced today it has reached a comprehensive settlement with the city of Newark, New Jersey, that will bring wide-ranging reforms and changes to the Newark Police Department (NPD). The agreement, which is subject to court approval, resolves the department's findings that NPD has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional stops, searches, arrests, use of excessive force and theft by officers in violation of the First, Fourth and 14th Amendments. The proposed consent decree also resolves the department's findings that NPD's law enforcement practices had a disparate impact on minorities in Newark. The Justice Department's findings were announced in July 2014 following a comprehensive investigation into the NPD started in May 2011. The investigation also found that this pattern of constitutional violations has eroded public confidence in the police. As a result, public safety suffers and the job of delivering police services was more difficult and more dangerous. Under the consent decree, the city of Newark and NPD will implement comprehensive reforms in 12 substantive areas. The agreement ensures that: -NPD will improve officer training to ensure that officers develop the necessary technical and practical skills required to carry out NPD directives consistently. -NPD will revise search and seizure policies, training and supervision to ensure that all stops, searches and arrests are conducted in accordance with the Constitution and in a manner that takes into account community priorities. -NPD will integrate bias-free policing principles into all levels of the organization, including comprehensive training of officers and supervisors. -NPD will reform use of force policies, including requirements for using de-escalation techniques whenever possible and appropriate, prohibiting retaliatory force and ensuring mandatory reporting and investigation standards following use of force. -NPD will deploy in-car and body-worn cameras to promote accountability, instill community confidence and improve law enforcement records. -NPD will implement measures to prevent theft of property by officers, including robust reporting and complete accounting of property or evidenced seized. -Office of Professional Standards investigators will be appropriately qualified and trained. Investigations of civilian complaints will be conducted in an objective, thorough and timely manner. -Newark will create a civilian oversight entity to give voice to and pursue concerns of its residents. -NPD will develop protocols for conducting compliance reviews and integrity audits. -NPD will implement steps to ensure that the disciplinary process is fair and consistent. -NPD will improve records management and early intervention systems and collect data on all uses of force and investigatory stops, searches and arrests, and develop a protocol for the comprehensive analysis of the data. The information will be publicly reported. -NPD will strengthen its public information programs to ensure that members of the public are informed of NPDs progress toward reform. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2016 at: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-nj/legacy/2014/07/22/NPD%20Findings%20Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-nj/legacy/2014/07/22/NPD%20Findings%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 138958 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice CorruptionPolice DisciplinePolice EthicsPolice IntegrityPolice MisconductPolice Reform |
Author: Stinson, Philip M. Title: Police Integrity Lost: A Study of Law Enforcement Officers Arrested Summary: 1 ABSTRACT There are no comprehensive statistics availa ble on problems with police integrity, and no government entity collects data on all criminal arrests of law enforcement officers in the United States. Police crimes are those crimes committed by sworn law enforcement officers with the general powers of arrest. These crimes can occur while the officer is either on- or off-duty and include offenses committed by officers employed by state and local law enforcement agencies. This study provides a wealth of data on a phenomen a that relates directly to police integrity- data that previously did not exist in any useable format. The first goal of the study is to determine th e nature and extent of police crime in the United States. The objective for this goal is to determine the inciden ce and prevalence of officers arrested. A second goal is to determine what factors influence how an agency responds to arrests of its officers. Objectives for this goal are to determine whether certain factors influence agency response and employment outcome s: (a) severity of crimes for which officers are arrested; (b) level of urbanization for each employing agency; (c) geographic location for each employing agency; (d) length of service and ag e of arrested officers; and, (e) criminal case outcomes. A final goal is to foster police integr ity by exploring whether o fficer arrests correlate with other forms of police misconduct. Objectives for this goal are to determine whether arrested officers were also named as a civil defendant in any 42 U.S.C. 1983 federal court actions during their careers, and to inform practiti oners and policymakers of strategies that will better identify problem officers and those at risk for engaging in pol ice crime and its correlates. The advent of nationwide, objec tive, and verifiable data on th e law-breaking behavior of sworn officers and provides potential benefits to law enforcement agencies that connect the technical expertise of researcher s to criminal justice policymaker s and practitioners. These data provide direct guidance in thr ee areas. First, the study provi des agencies information on the types of crime that are most frequently perp etrated by police officers. Second, the research provides information on the relationship between police crimes and other types of misbehavior that collectively comprise the problem officer. Third, nationwide data on police crimes and the manner in which arrested officers are organiza tionally sanctioned provide s points of comparison for law enforcement agencies that confront thes e problems, as well as information on the degree to which law enforcement agencies tend to sanction or ignore certain crimes committed by officers. This is a quantitative cont ent analysis study of archiv ed records reporting several thousand arrests of police officers during the years 2005-2011. The primary information source is the Google News search engine and its Google Alerts email update service. Chi-Square was used to measure the statistical significance of th e association between two variables measured at the nominal level. Cramer's V was utilized to measure th e strength of the Chi-Square association. Stepwise binary lo gistic regression was used to de termine which of the predictor variables are statistically significant in multivar iate models. Classification tree analysis was utilized to uncover the causal pa thways between independent predic tors and outcome variables. The Google News searches resulted in the id entification of 6,724 cas es in which sworn law enforcement officers were arrested during the years 2005 through 201 1. The cases involved the arrests of 5,545 individual sworn officers employed by 2,529 nonfederal state and local law enforcement agencies located in 1,205 counties a nd independent cities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings indicate th at nonfederal law enforcement officers were arrested nationwide during 2005-2011 at a rate of 0.72 officers arrested per 1,000 officers, and at a rate of 1.7 officers arrested per 100,000 population nationwide. Details: Bowling Green, OH: Criminal Justice Program Bowling Green State University, 2016. 671p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249850.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249850.pdf Shelf Number: 139639 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice Misconduct |
Author: Zizumbo-Colunga, Daniel Title: Crime, Corruption and Societal Support for Vigilante Justice: Ten Years of Evidence in Review Summary: Main Findings: - In 2014, support for vigilante justice reached a 10-year high - Suriname, Ecuador, and El Salvador are the countries in which vigilante justice is the most accepted - Brazil, Bahamas, Uruguay, and Venezuela are the countries in which vigilante justice is the least accepted - Variations in societal support within the countries of the Americas are linked to the prevalence of crime and police corruption Details: Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University, 2015. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: AmericasBarometer Insights: 2015 Number 120: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/IO920en.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/IO920en.pdf Shelf Number: 140247 Keywords: Police CorruptionVigilante JusticeVigilantesVigilantism |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: The Stephen Lawrence Independent Review: Possible Corruption and the Role of Undercover Policing in the Stephen Lawrence Case Summary: The questions posed by our terms of reference must be considered in the context of the following key findings of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: a) The initial investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence was seriously flawed and deserving of severe criticism. The underlying causes of the failure were more troublesome and potentially more sinister. The impact of incompetence, racism and corruption on the investigation had been the subject of much evidence and debate. b) The Inquiry was faced with a complex task in order to determine whether corruption and collusion, racism or institutional lethargy had (alone or in combination) been causative of the seriously flawed initial investigation of the murder. Each contended force could have resulted in or contributed to the same failings. To assess the extent of the impact of any one of the forces on the investigation, it was necessary to consider that force in isolation. c) Applying the civil standard of proof to its findings, namely on the balance of probability, the Inquiry concluded that institutional racism affected the murder investigation, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and police services elsewhere, as well as other institutions and organisations. d) As regards the serious allegation of corruption or collusion, the Inquiry decided that it would be wholly unfair to reach any adverse conclusion without being sure of it, applying the criminal standard of proof. Applying that standard, the Inquiry found that the evidence fell short of making it sure that corruption or collusion had infected the initial murder investigation. e) The flawed MPS Barker Review of the murder investigation in late 1993 had failed to expose the faults in the murder investigation as it should have. Equally, in the face of the Lawrence family's justified criticism, for years afterwards the MPS had wrongly insisted that the investigation had been professionally and competently carried out. This had piled more grief upon that caused by the murder itself and had misled both the family and the public. Details: London: Home Office, 2014. 2 vol., summary Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stephen-lawrence-independent-review Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stephen-lawrence-independent-review Shelf Number: 140536 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationPolice AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice IntegrityPolice MisconductStephen Lawrence |
Author: Krzalic, Armin Title: The Citizens' Opinion of the Police Force: The Results of Public Opinion Survey Conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina Summary: The police happens to be most trusted part of the system of Bosnia and Herzegovina -- more than half of the population has confidence in this institution. However, the image of the police among the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided -- while the opinion of some is quite positive, others list corruption, lack of politeness and discomfort as things that first come to mind at the mention of police officers. In the opinion of the population, one of the biggest problems with the police is the excessive influence of politicians on their work. The police officers are, thus, perceived as protectors of the interests of political parties instead of those who are there to serve the citizens. Citizens believe that corruption in the police force is widespread, but when we look at individual parts of the institution we see that this assessment varies and pertains mostly to traffic police, border police (especially the customs officers) and the closest associates of ministers of interior affairs. Citizens say that the process of employment in the police also happens to be problematic, i.e. that employment is gained through friends, family members, political connections and bribery. The number of those who say that they would report cases of corruption in the police, if they had the opportunity, is quite small. Such an attitude best illustrates the image of the police in public, that is, its disappointment with their work and lack of interest in their affairs. Details: Sarajevo: Centre for Security Studies, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2016 at: http://css.ba/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina-The-Citizens-Opinion-of-Police-Force-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina URL: http://css.ba/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina-The-Citizens-Opinion-of-Police-Force-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 144835 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice EffectivenessPolice LegitimacyPolicingPublic Opinion |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Nigeria: 'You Have Signed Your Death Warrant': Torture and other ill treatment in the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) Summary: A Nigerian police unit set up to combat violent crime has instead been systematically torturing detainees in its custody as a means of extracting confessions and lucrative bribes, Amnesty International said in a report published today. In Nigeria: You have signed your death warrant, former detainees told Amnesty International they had been subjected to horrific torture methods, including hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions, at the hands of corrupt officers from the feared Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). "A police unit created to protect the people has instead become a danger to society, torturing its victims with complete impunity while fomenting a toxic climate of fear and corruption," said Damian Ugwu, Amnesty International's Nigeria researcher. "Our research has uncovered a pattern of ruthless human rights violations where victims are arrested and tortured until they either make a 'confession' or pay officers a bribe to be released." Amnesty International has received reports from lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists and collected testimonies stating that some police officers in SARS regularly demand bribes, steal and extort money from criminal suspects and their families. "SARS officers are getting rich through their brutality. In Nigeria, it seems that torture is a lucrative business," said Ugwu. SARS detainees are held in a variety of locations, including a grim detention center in Abuja known as the 'Abattoir,' where Amnesty International found 130 detainees living in overcrowded cells. Amnesty International’s research shows that, in addition to its stated remit of tackling violent crime, SARS investigates civil matters and in some cases tortures detainees involved in contractual, business and even non-criminal disputes. Details: London: AI, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/nigeria_sars_report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/nigeria_sars_report.pdf Shelf Number: 146295 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Use of ForceTortureViolent Crime |
Author: Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Title: Special report concerning illicit drug use by Victoria Police officers Operations Apsley, Hotham and Yarrowitch Summary: This report presents the findings of key investigations by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) into serious police misconduct involving the use of illicit drugs, and broader consideration of Victoria Police’s systems and practices to detect and prevent illicit drug use by its officers. IBAC's Operations Apsley, Hotham and Yarrowitch raise serious concerns about illicit drug use by sworn police officers and also highlight potential systemic weaknesses in Victoria Police's approach to this issue. Any illicit drug use by police is a serious problem with significant ramifications not only for the individual officers involved, but also for their colleagues, and the police force as a whole. Importantly, police use of illicit drugs adversely impacts the safety of the community and undermines the community's level of trust and respect for police and the law. In summary, illicit drug use by police is clearly unacceptable because: Illicit drug use, possession and trafficking are criminal offences which contravene the oath or affirmation sworn by all police officers, as well as contravening the professional and ethical standards and values they are required to uphold. Illicit drug activity exposes individual officers to compromise and corruption. An officer who procures and uses illicit drugs is by definition engaging in criminal conduct. This not only seriously compromises the officer but also leaves them vulnerable to blackmail or coercion and at real risk of engaging in other serious forms of misconduct or corruption. As previously reported by IBAC, organised criminals seek to exploit risk taking behaviour such as illicit drug use to compromise and corrupt public officials, especially police. Victoria Police's authority to uphold the law, and maintain the community’s respect for the law are eroded by police using illicit drugs. An individual officer using illicit drugs lessens their authority to enforce the law, and diminishes the collective authority of Victoria Police in the community. Illicit drug use by police officers also presents a serious health and safety issue for individual officers, their work colleagues and the broader community. It is imperative that an officer's judgement and performance are not impaired by illicit drugs, particularly when police are exercising a range of lethal and non-lethal force options, making decisions about arrest and the exercise of other powers, driving in unpredictable situations, or dealing with difficult and challenging situations. Details: Melbourne: The Commission, 2016. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 15, 2016 at: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/special-reports/special-report-concerning-illicit-drug-use-by-victoria-police-officers.pdf?sfvrsn=6 Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/special-reports/special-report-concerning-illicit-drug-use-by-victoria-police-officers.pdf?sfvrsn=6 Shelf Number: 146150 Keywords: Illicit Drug AbusePolice AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice MisconductPolice Oversight |
Author: Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Title: Transit Protective Services Officers: An exploration of corruption and misconduct risks Summary: Since 2011, transit Protective Services Officers (PSOs) have been employed by Victoria Police to patrol metropolitan and major regional railway stations. Their functions include maintaining a visible presence on train stations and surrounding areas, engaging with the community and fostering a sense of safety. They exercise a range of powers including the power to arrest and detain people, to request personal information, and to search people and property. This report reviews complaint and use of force data relating to transit PSOs. IBAC identified three key areas of risk in relation to PSO conduct: assault and excessive use of force unauthorised access to and/or disclosure of information predatory behaviour involving members of the public. Engagement with the public is fundamental to the role of PSOs. This includes dealing with people who are vulnerable, for instance because they are minors, have alcohol and/or drug dependencies, are homeless, and/or have a disability or mental health issues. PSOs who have well developed communication and conflict resolution skills are less likely to be the subject of complaints, such as allegations of assault or excessive force, or unlawful requests for information. IBAC therefore recommends that Victoria Police provides PSOs with ongoing communication and engagement training. The report also identifies that some members of the Victorian community may not fully understand the role of PSOs and the extent of their powers, which has the potential to lead to conflict with PSOs and therefore complaints. IBAC recommends that Victoria Police takes steps to ensure the public better understands the role and powers of PSOs. This report does not consider the effectiveness of the PSOs in fulfilling their functions. However, it is noted that in 2016, the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office conducted an audit of the effectiveness of the PSO program and found that while there is evidence that people who travel on trains at night feel safer due to PSOs, there is insufficient data to assess the impact, if any, that PSOs have had on crime rates. Details: Melbourne: IBAC, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 23, 2016 at: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/research-documents/transit-protective-services-officers---an-exploration-of-corruption-and-misconduct-risks.pdf?sfvrsn=4 Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/research-documents/transit-protective-services-officers---an-exploration-of-corruption-and-misconduct-risks.pdf?sfvrsn=4 Shelf Number: 144838 Keywords: Police CorruptionPolice MisconductTransit SafetyTransit Security |
Author: Elsen, Jacob R. Title: Bad Cop, Bad Cop: Corruption in the Buenos Aires Provincial Police. Contemporary Discourse and Suggestions for Future Research Summary: This thesis comprehensively reviews literature pertaining to police corruption in the Buenos Aires Provincial Police. In doing so, it organizes and synthesizes contemporary discourse on this topic and suggests areas for future scholarly study in order to better understand corruption in this particular case. This thesis argues that the global police corruption literature provides an analytical framework for assessing the breadth of the police corruption literature specific to the Buenos Aires Provincial Police. In this way, this thesis reviews the global police corruption literature and finds that scholars have researched four principal areas of study: the definitions and typologies of police corruption, the causes of police corruption, the nature and organization of police corruption, and preventive strategies. These areas of research and their key findings are subsequently employed as an analytical framework for organizing discussion of the case-specific literature and suggesting areas in need of further scholarly study on this particular case. This review finds that each of these main areas of study present topics that have been widely researched in the context of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police, as well as others that have received little or no attention and therefore merit further study. Details: Washington, DC: Georgetown University, 2016. 178p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 7, 2017 at: https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/1041840/Elsen_georgetown_0076M_13448.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2016 Country: Argentina URL: https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/1041840/Elsen_georgetown_0076M_13448.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 146026 Keywords: PolicePolice Corruption |
Author: Diaz-Cayeros, Alberto Title: Caught in the Crossfire: The Geography of Extortion and Police Corruption in Mexico Summary: When Mexican president Felipe Calderón took office in December 2006 he declared a war on the nation’s drug traffic organizations (Ríos and Shirk, 2011). Violence escalated as criminal organizations became increasingly fragmented and disputed their territories (Killebrew and Bernal, 2010; Beittel, 2011). The main strategy followed by the federal government involved capturing leaders and lieutenants of criminal organizations (Calderón et al. forthcoming). This seemed to provoke even more violence, by making the competition over-territorial control fiercer and providing incentives for many gangs to make extortion and protection fees (derecho de piso) an additional source of revenue (Guerrero-Gutiérrez, 2010). Given the absence of legal(and peaceful) rules and enforcement mechanisms for competitors in the illegal drug market, disagreements were usually solved violently. Under the pressure of the crackdown by the federal police, the navy and the army, contracts among criminal gangs were often disrupted, leading to even more violence. Competition over the strategic routes towards the market in the United States was settled by literally eliminating rivals (Dell, 2012). The wide availability of illegal guns crossing from the US border (Dube et al., 2013) turned firearm deaths into the main cause of death among young men in Mexico.Meanwhile, citizens became caught in the crossfire of rival drug cartels and extortion at the hands of criminal gangs. A highly visible example of this was the case of two students in the prestigious private university Tecnológico de Monterrey who were kidnapped by drug traffickers in 2010, but then killed by the military in a botched attempt to rescue them. The case became particularly controversial due to the excessive use of force by the army and their effort to cover up the case with planted evidence. During the late 1990s and early 2000s Mexico gradually changed from being a transit territory for drugs heading to the United States market to a place of increasing consumption (Castañeda and Aguilar, 2010). This transformation was partially driven by a change in the way that wholesale drug importers were paying for services; they switched from payments only in cash to payments with part of the same drug they were distributing (Grillo, 2011:80). The change from a transportation to a retail distribution business implied that drug cartels had to increase the number of personnel. Having a larger full-time workforce, the cartels could now count on small armies of salaried criminals at their disposal. The perfect complement to this new industrial organization was an easily corruptible police and judicial system at all levels of government. Increasingly fragmented criminal organizations began to diversify their illegal activities–to extortion of small businesses, kidnappings of middle-class individuals, racketeering and control of retail trade in their territories, and extortion of migrant workers– perhaps in associations with police departments. Although it is difficult to provide evidence on how much real progress has been made, there is no question that efforts at reforming the police forces in Mexico face a momentous challenge in such environment. Although a new federal police force was created after 2006 and, in principle, all police had to comply with background checks and other administrative procedures, in fact, state and municipal police forces remain not just corrupt but also keep on using excessive force and violating human rights. This became patently clear in the case of the 43 Ayotzinapa missing students that in October of 2014 were detained by the municipal police of the city of Iguala, to be handed in to the killers of a drug traffic organization. The police forces of Iguala are not the only ones that are penetrated by organized crime and have failed to protect citizens. This chapter explores the connection between police distrust, corruption and extortion. Despite the difficulty in measuring these phenomena through conventional public opinion polls and citizen or firm level surveys,much can be learned from the variation across geographic units in reported victimization and corruption. We use a list experiment collected through the Survey on Public Safety and Governance in Mexico (SPSGM), to study the practices of extortion by both police forces and criminal organizations. Using a Bayesian spatial estimation method, we provide a mapping of the geographic distribution of police extortion. Our findings suggest that weak state institutions in vast regions within Mexico have become captured, through corruption, by competing drug traffic organizations. Extortion prevails either because police forces have become agents of criminal organizations or because criminals can engage in racketeering without any police intervention. We conclude with a discussion of the emergence of self-defense groups as a strategy for coping with extortion; a strategy that while effective at protecting citizens,may further undermine state capacity. Details: Stanford, CA: Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, 2014. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: CDDRL Working Paper; Accessed February 28, 2017 at: http://fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/caught_in_the_crossfire_final_final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Mexico URL: http://fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/caught_in_the_crossfire_final_final.pdf Shelf Number: 141225 Keywords: Drug CartelsDrug TraffickingExtortionGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesOrganized CrimePolice Corruption |
Author: Selth, Andrew Title: Police Reform in Burma (Myanmar): Aims Obstacles and Outcomes Summary: Despite all the publicity that Burma has received since the inauguration of a hybrid military-civilian parliament in 2011, and the launch of an ambitious reform program by President Thein Sein, there are some important issues which seem to have escaped serious study. It has become clear, for example, that the new government wishes not only to reinvigorate plans to expand and remodel the Myanmar Police Force (MPF), but also to give it a more distinctive civilian style and ethos, and see it take greater responsibility for some key aspects of the country's internal security. Indeed, such steps will be essential if Burma is to strengthen the rule of law and make an orderly transition to a genuine and sustainable democracy. The armed forces (Tatmadaw) will remain responsible for external defence and for counter-insurgency campaigns against armed ethnic groups. However, it seems to be envisaged that, as part of the broad democratisation process, the MPF will assume a greater role in terms of law enforcement and the maintenance of internal order. Already, there are more blue uniforms than green uniforms on the streets protecting VIPs and standing static guard outside diplomatic missions. The police can also be expected to play a larger part in quelling civil unrest, with the army only called upon to provide aid to the 'civil' power during emergencies, as occurred in Arakan (Rakhine) State in 2012 and Meiktila in 2013. To this end, the MPF is being expanded, restructured and modernised. It is already larger and more powerful than it has been since the colonial era, but the goal is a force of over 100,000 men and women, with 34 'combat' battalions. Recruitment and officer corps entry standards have been raised. At the same time, the MPF's doctrine and training programs are being changed to give greater emphasis to 'community-based policing' by unarmed officers working in close cooperation with the civil population. This approach is not completely new to Burma but, if fully and successfully adopted, it will be in stark contrast to the tough paramilitary style of policing that has characterised the force since General Ne Win's 1962 coup. As the Indonesian example has shown, however, such a transition will be neither quick nor easy. Burma's armed forces remain very powerful. There will be some areas, such as intelligence collection and internal security operations, where the interests of the MPF and Tatmadaw will overlap. The respective roles, responsibilities and associated benefits of the two institutions may be sorted out - probably in the Tatmadaw's favour - but there is likely to be friction. Also, there are cultural issues in the police force which will take a long time to resolve. Corruption and the abuse of power, for example, are deeply-rooted problems that will be difficult to eradicate. Until they are, the force's relations with the general population will remain problematical. Should the MPF be able to reinvent itself, however, it has the potential to make a major contribution to Thein Sein's reform program and the development of a more democratic, stable and humane society in Burma. Also, as an important civilian body answerable to the public through an 'elected' government, its behaviour - and treatment by the government - will be important indicators of progress in current attempts to implement the rule of law in Burma and make the security forces more accountable for their actions. Details: Brisbane: Griffith University, Griffith Asia Institute, 2013. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Regional Outlook Paper, No. 44: Accessed April 6, 2017 at: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs20/Selth-2013-Police_Reform-red.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Burma URL: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs20/Selth-2013-Police_Reform-red.pdf Shelf Number: 144725 Keywords: Criminal Justice ReformPolice CorruptionPolice ReformPolicingRule of Law |
Author: Silva Avalos, Hector Title: Corruption in El Salvador: Politians, Police, and Transportistas Summary: Corruption and the infiltration of public institutions in Central America by organized crime groups is an unaddressed issue that lies at the core of the increasing violence and democratic instability that has afflicted the region in the last decade. In El Salvador, infiltration has mutated into a system capable of determining important political and strategic decisions, such as the election of high-level judicial officials and the shaping of the state approach to fighting crime. This paper addresses corruption in El Salvador's National Civil Police (PNC), the law enforcement agency created under the auspices of the 1992 Peace Accord that ended the country's 12-year civil war. Archival and field research presented here demonstrates that the PNC has been plagued by its own "original sin": the inclusion of former soldiers that worked with criminal groups and preserved a closed power structure that prevented any authority from investigating them for over two decades. This original sin has allowed criminal bands formed in the 1980s as weapon or drug smugglers to forge connections with the PNC and to develop into sophisticated drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). These new DTOs are now involved in money laundering, have secured pacts with major criminal players in the region - such as Mexican and Colombian cartels - and have learned how to use the formal economy and financial system. These "entrepreneurs" of crime, long tolerated and nurtured by law enforcement officials and politicians in El Salvador, are now major regional players themselves. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Latin American & Latino Studies, American University, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: CLALS Working Paper Series, No. 4: Accessed June 26, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2419174 Year: 2014 Country: El Salvador URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2419174 Shelf Number: 146382 Keywords: Drug CartelsDrug TraffickingOrganized CrimePolice CorruptionPolitical Corruption |
Author: Sokwanele Title: "I Can Arrest You": The Zimbabwe Republic Police and Your Rights Summary: The swearing in of Zimbabwe's coalition government on February 11, 2009 took place five months after the signing of the power-sharing agreement and almost a year after the flawed and violence-ridden 2008 elections. In his inauguration speech, the new Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, said that the "culture of entitlement and impunity ... must end." Two years later, in their report of March 2011, titled: "Perpetual Fear - Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe", Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote that human rights abuses and restoration of the Rule of Law, politically motivated violence and the lack of accountability for abuses remained a serious problem. HRW warned that members of the security forces, ZANU-PF and groups allied to ZANU-PF continued to commit human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and abductions, beatings, torture and killings of members and supporters of the former opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and those critical of the ZANU-PF and its officials. Today in Zimbabwe, more than three years into the shaky and widely discredited power-sharing arrangement, arrests are escalating, corruption is rampant, human rights violations are rising once more and the Rule of Law has not been restored. All indicators are there to alert Zimbabweans, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international community that an increasingly desperate and unpopular ZANU-PF is gearing up for the next election. This report focuses on the risk of arrest at the hands of the partisan Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) under the command of Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, who has publicly acknowledged his allegiance to ZANU-PF. Chihuri has served as police head since 1993 and his contract has been renewed by President Mugabe 13 times since 1997. Chihuri is a member of Joint Operations Command (JOC), the junta which continues to control Zimbabwe. In a country where the Rule of Law is no longer operational and the security forces operate with impunity, every citizen is vulnerable. A chance remark in a taxi, at a pub or even at a funeral could lead to arrest and possible incarceration in one of the country's disgracefully maintained jails. Those who stand up for their rights and join demonstrations or canvass for political parties other than ZANU-PF face possible arrest, severe beatings and torture in custody. Bribery and corruption have become rampant. In a survey published by Transparency International in 2011, Zimbabwe ranked 154 out of 182 countries in terms of its level of corruption. The ZRP topped the list as the most corrupt institution and stood out as the biggest recipient of bribes among service providers. The proliferation of roadblocks across Zimbabwe's appallingly maintained road network has lead to growing frustration among road users due to the inevitable delays and the demands for bribes from increasingly brazen police officers. Although one of the most important roles of a roadblock should be to reduce the number of vehicle accidents, their contribution is seen as questionable - and rather as a money-making racket both for the police force per se and also for individual self-enrichment. The controversy surrounding the roadblocks extends beyond bribery and corruption to their more sinister roles during elections: their use as a mechanism for blocking food aid to opposition strongholds, for stopping people injured in election violence from seeking medical help and to prevent opposition officials and activists from canvassing or holding rallies. After explaining the legitimate roles of roadblocks, the report gives advice to citizens on their legal rights and provides recommendations on how to deal with police harassment and implicit or overt requests for bribes. In a section describing corruption within the ZRP as "endemic", the report provides examples in a range that includes plundering stolen properties, collusion with bag snatchers, extorting bribes from taxi drivers, demanding bribes at roadblocks, protection rackets, perverting the ends of justice, setting up diamond syndicates and murdering illegal or unlicenced miners for financial gain. Judges have also criticised police investigations of cases where vital information given to the police by State witnesses has been omitted from formal witness statements produced in court in favour of the defence. Furthermore, ZANU-PF members who have murdered MDC supporters have been freed on bail and remain at liberty. The evidence of good policing is the absence of crime. It must be subject to the Rule of Law, rather than the wishes of a powerful leader or party. It can intervene in the life of citizens only under limited and carefully controlled circumstances - and it is publicly accountable. The report explains the differences between civil policing and political policing. It also defines secret policing, where an authoritarian regime uses the police as an agent of political oppression. Citizens within a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views - which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. The police force of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), was created by Chapter IX of the (Independence) Constitution of 1979, signed at the Lancaster House Conference. It is governed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe - which has been amended 19 times over the past 33 years - and by the Police Act. The current head of the ZRP, Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, has served as police head since 1993 and has had his contract renewed by President Mugabe 13 times since 1997. The ZRP is bound by many international human rights standards. It is also a member of SARPCCO, a regional professional association which is committed to disseminating best practices and raising the standard of policing, including the respect for human rights. Not only is the ZRP guilty of perpetrating gross human rights, with many of the victims being opposition activists and supporters, but it is also guilty of abusing its own members. Zimbabweans and the international community were shocked in June 2009 when a secretly filmed two-minute video on You-Tube showed ZRP recruits being beaten while undergoing 'training' in Harare. Each recruit was forced to lie down and was then beaten by 'trainers' with batons, some more viciously than others, a process reportedly referred to as 'pay day'. The concept of "The Rule of Law", and the differences between "The Rule of Law" and "Rule by Law" are explained, with reference to the Constitution - and to people's rights according to the Constitution. The conclusion warns the ZRP that it faces millions of US dollars worth of law suits from political activists and human rights defenders who are claiming compensation for torture, wrongful arrest or abduction. Furthermore, a South African High Court ruled on May 8, 2012 that the South African authorities must investigate Zimbabwean officials who are accused of involvement in torture and crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe. Details: Zimbabwe: Sokwanele, 2012. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: http://acjr.org.za/resource-centre/Sokwanele-report-i-can-arrest-you.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Zimbabwe URL: http://acjr.org.za/resource-centre/Sokwanele-report-i-can-arrest-you.pdf Shelf Number: 146699 Keywords: Human Rights AbusesPolice BehaviorPolice BrutalityPolice CorruptionPolicing |
Author: Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Title: Audit of complaints investigated by Professional Standards Command, Victoria Police Summary: As part of our work to determine how effectively Victoria Police handles complaints against police officers, IBAC audited how PSC handled a sample of complaint files, consisting of 59 investigations out of the 221 investigations finalised by PSC in 2015/16. The 59 files selected for audit by IBAC covered complaint investigations that concerned more serious allegations made about Victoria Police officers. These matters included allegations of assault, improper criminal associations, drug use or possession offences, sexual offences, handling stolen goods, threats to kill, interference in investigations, and misuse of information. The audit identified a number of concerns regarding PSC's complaint handling that require improvement. Practices that require improvement include: Poor management of conflicts of interest: The vast majority of files audited (95 per cent) did not explicitly identify or address actual, perceived or potential conflicts of interest between investigators and subject officers. Failure to consistently consult with the Office of Public Prosecutions: Victoria Police did not consistently consult with the Office of Public Prosecutions in relation to reportable offences as required under section 127(2) of the Victoria Police Act 2013. Inadequate recommended actions: IBAC auditors disagreed with the action Victoria Police recommended in 15 per cent of files. This included two matters where it appeared the Assistant Commissioner of PSC downgraded the recommended disciplinary action without providing clear reasons. Probity concerns: The audit identified some PSC investigators had complaint histories that raised issues of concern and could adversely affect community confidence in the outcome of investigations. Inappropriate file classification: The way complaint files are classified by PSC determines how they are managed. Issues were identified with the way the work file classification (known as a C1-0 file) is used. The audit found the approach adopted by PSC means this classification is being used well beyond its stated purpose of undertaking preliminary inquiries. For example, the work file classification was used for complaints that contained clear allegations of criminality off-duty (C3-3 file) or corruption (C3-4 file). The practice of reclassifying a matter as a work file after an investigation had been completed, on the basis that the file contained 'intelligence only', was also considered inappropriate. One of the risks in allowing files to be reclassified as work files on closure is that complaint investigations can be closed prematurely. Failure to recommend broader organisational improvements: PSC investigators identified a range of possible policy and procedural improvements in 27 per cent of files. However, no files formally recommended 'action on any identified deficiency in Victoria Police premises, equipment, policies, practices or procedures' as is recommended in the Victoria Police Manual. This is despite the fact that some of the recommendations made by PSC investigators identified opportunities for broader application of findings and improvements across the organisation. Details: Melbourne: The Commission, 2018. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 22, 2018 at: http://apo.org.au/system/files/179431/apo-nid179431-874266.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/system/files/179431/apo-nid179431-874266.pdf Shelf Number: 150637 Keywords: Citizen ComplaintsComplaints Against the PolicePolice AccountabilityPolice CorruptionPolice Misconduct |
Author: Hale, Gary J. Title: The Victimology of Extortions in Mexico Summary: Extortion has become the most favored activity among traditional organized crime elements in Mexico, motivated by several factors that contribute to the longevity of the practice. Chief among these is the enormous money-making opportunities these groups can seize by forcing people into situations in which they would gladly forfeit their assets in exchange for the freedom to continue their daily business and personal activities. Most of the other factors that make extortion a popular crime are related to the fact that extortionists are typically granted immunity from prosecution. Immunity is derived from various phenomena, including: - Subjugation of police forces: some extortionists or cartels have superior weaponry and strength in numbers compared to police forces, causing the latter to acquiesce to the former. - Collusion by corrupt police forces: some police officers simply decide to join the extortionists in return for payment-in-kind for their participation. - The intimidation, hurt, harm, or killing of victims and witnesses, which leads to a lack of social accountability for the extortionists, emboldening them to continue committing the crime. - The lack of successful prosecutions of extortion cases brought to the criminal justice system, a significant motivator that will remain in place until such time as substantial and lasting criminal justice reform is enacted in Mexico. This analysis addresses the criminal extortion practices occurring in Mexico, with emphasis given to activities along the northern border states, particularly the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and along the trade corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. This analysis also uses the import of used cars from the United States to Mexico as one useful case study. Details: Houston, TX: James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, 2016. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2018 at: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/f2b6edba/DRUG-pub-Hale_Victimology-102616.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Mexico URL: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/f2b6edba/DRUG-pub-Hale_Victimology-102616.pdf Shelf Number: 153061 Keywords: Extortion Organized Crime Police CorruptionPolitical Corruption |