Publisher's Synopsis
This research analyzes a cultural institution in policing that is often not discussed; yet, deeply influences police behavior. The absence of written policies on the police code of silence indicates a form of cognitive dissonance between policies and practices. For many citizens, the perception that a code of silence exist and that the code is utilized to cover up police misconduct severely undermines community policing efforts.One incident of police misconduct and a perceived cover up can destroy years of trust building. This research is a must read because it allows citizens, police cadets, and police reformers to gain an inside view of policing from upper echelon police personnel who provided case scenarios of the code of silence. One of the findings associated with this research was that officers experienced a taxonomy of various fears which influenced how they performed their jobs. One such fear was, the fear of retaliation if an officer reported the misconduct of a fellow officer. As the research reveals, these courageous officers were ostracized, criminally framed, discredited, retaliated, demoted, fired, punished, and even murdered in order to silence them. These officers became the police department's example to other officers who wanted to report misconduct. This author, researcher, and law enforcement practitioner believes many of the systemic problems (serial police violators) facing policing can be traced back to the unresolved issue of the police code of silence. Within this document, most criminal justice researchers point out that the code of silence protects mismanagement and corruption by upper echelon police leaders. Because of police mistrust, many communities of color continue to ask for an independent review board with subpoena power. The public should read this document to further educate themselves based on the interviews and knowledge shared by police leadership personnel in various communities across the country. In closing, I believe this information along with its' recommendations will assist any community in improving police accountability.
