Essay Sample on Criminal Law: The "Blue Wall of Silence" and Police Culture and Relevance to Police Ethics

The "Blue Wall of Silence was established first in New York, and it is also known as the "Blue Shield." A special code is created from the unwritten code and is used to guide the members within the police units to exercise refrains towards reporting misconducts, crimes, and errors of their peers upon being questioned when an inquiry is being conducted. Officers are required to remain silent on the offenses undertaken by their colleagues. The code is usually an unofficial oath taken by the police that plays a pivotal role in how they operate and carry out their tasks.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

All countries have a police force mandated to enforce laws that govern how it operates in ensuring peace is upheld (Thomas, 2009). The police are essential in maintaining public order at all times without having to violate the rights of the citizens. The blue shield is viewed to enhance deviation from the required code of conduct within the various police departments.

The blue shield is a representation of the loyalty that exists among the police forces aimed at enhancing protection for each other. A police officer can decide to disregard the brutality being conducted on the victims by their peers hence hindering the appropriate justice process for the government. Evidently, the code of the "Blue wall of silence" accompanied by police brutality tends to be engraved in the police culture, and the actions are being protected by the fellow police. An argument can, therefore, be deduced on how the blue shield promoted police corruption and other unethical activities within the police force. The “Blue Wall of Silence” cultivates a culture that is not desirable to the community and the cops themselves.

The unofficial oath increases the rift that exists between the police departments and the citizens they should be protecting hence the need to advocate for the officers to leave the wall behind them and concentrate on their core mandate of protecting the citizens. Upholding police ethics and integrity is crucial in creating an understanding world devoid of chaos since the police get more concerned about protecting the rights of the citizens rather than their peers. The ultimate result of breaking the code of the blue wall of Silence is the end of unethical behaviors, corruption level within the police force, and the minor infringements. Evidently, the study of police behavior is crucial in keeping the police in check and ensuring there is a balance between protecting the public and creating cohesion within the police departments to ensure effective service delivery.

The Relevance of the Blue Wall of Silence to the Police Ethics

Over the years, the blue code of Silence has been witnessed within the police forces in the US, and this has continued to create discomfort from the public on the relevance and mandates bestowed on the police units to protect and ensure justice is accorded to all the citizens. Ethical conduct is a mandatory requirement for police officers. The public interest should, therefore, come as a priority to the police departments instead of protecting their own benefit and their fellow officers.

Through the blue code of Silence, it becomes easy to understand the behavior of the police and the ethical conduct in place in the police departments. The aim is to design better policies and strategies that will be essential in combatting the blue shield and enhance public trust in the body designed to offer protection.

According to Megan and Daniel (2014), the corruption level exiting within the police departments indicates actions taken by the officers that are contrary to their job requirements in order to gain financially and return the favors. The blue wall of silence code, as outlined, suggests solidarity or a sense of brotherhood among the officers; hence they defend one another in times of the inquiry process. There is the relevance of the outlined codes when it comes to police ethics, as there is an indication of the manner in which the culture that promotes corruption has emerged as a result of the noted laws within the police departments.

Arguably, a barrier has emerged when it comes to fighting and putting an end to the corrupt activities that exist within the police force. It becomes difficult to stop the officers from advancing their illegal activities and causing more suffering to the common man. The police culture involves a set of values and rules that have evolved as a result of the members' experiences when it comes to law enforcement, consequently affecting the environment within which the officers operate (Paoline, 2004).

The whistleblowing tends to be discouraged by the underwritten culture within the police departments making it difficult to fight and address corruption-related issues. It is uncommon for law enforcement officers to report the misconducts of the other officers. There is a reduction in the number of reports being made by the officers regarding the corrupt dealings of their peers since most of them believe in the justification of their actions depending on the circumstances surrounding the moments (Paoline, 2004).

The protection of the whistleblowers should be enhanced to promote the transparency level within the police departments. Legislations and strategies should be put in place to enhance the reporting of the misconducts among the police and to ensure the proper channel is followed in protecting the reporters of such vices. The officers should be made to feel free and open in reporting any misconduct emanating from their peers when they know their protection is guaranteed. The various forms of harassment and intimidation should be discouraged, and those found to do so should face severe consequences for being an obstruction to justice and transparency within the organ.

Officers tend to find it hard to disregard the long outstanding blue code, which has been traditionally upheld alongside the culture of brotherhood that has proven to be dominant within the police departments. The officers are discouraged from whistleblowing by the fear of the consequences for doing so as they tend to get threats and have their own misconducts exposed. Without whistleblowing, the intended justice for the victims and the public is denied hence going against the mandate the police sworn to take towards ensuring equitable justice and peace.

There is an increasing concern of the ethical concerns within the police departments across the world, with the corruption level being at the center stage. There are three significant components of corruption, and they include the opportunity, risk, and incentives. Prospect tends to lead to corruption activities as the nature of the police jobs leads to various opportunities that tempt the officers to engage in the corrupt dealings. The police officers can apply the coercive powers that support and enhances their corrupt ways. The discretionary of the authority of the police when it comes to the identification of the law they choose to apply and enforce is referred to as the de facto discretionary power or authority (Megan & Daniel, 2014).

The critical element involves the decision made by the police regarding the law they choose to apply or enforce in the course of their duty. The actual discretion provided for by the law gives an insight into the conditions that the officers are granted power (Paoline, 2004). The police force should, therefore, ensure they chose to apply the law that enhances peace and equity prevails at all times. Their service should be aimed at upholding what they were sworn to do, and deviation to that will lead to severe consequences since the public greatly relies on their services. Therefore, the legal option is considered to hold more moral authority compared to the de facto discretion and is considered to be more necessary within the police departments.

The culture of the blue shield can extend the crime levels and enhance the cover-ups that exist within the police forces, as indicated by the rampart scandal. Various facts suggest that the officers who tend to be whistleblowers within the police force are forced to undergo early retirement, and at the same time, others get harassed due to their decision to report the various misconducts within the police departments.

The functionality presented suggests the increasing need to prevent the police culture from yielding more damage and to and to enhance the interest of the citizens. Other law enforcement agencies are seeking to join hands with the police to uphold the law but face challenges brought about by the existing blue codes of Silence (Megan & Daniel, 2014).

Other officers tend to report their peers as a retaliation for the mistreatment experienced. Others tend to notify the misconduct of others to indicate their loyalty to their departments whereas, and others do so to gain official recognition (Jiri, 2012). Some officers get recruited within the law to act as informants of the actions undertaken by others. Officers with the job description that entails reporting are more likely to go against the set blue code and those who decide to so to be accorded immunity from any form of prosecution.

Internal investigations get influenced by the culture that is deeply embedded in the police code of conduct. According to Jiri (2012), police code tends to be centered on the negative and positive traits, and the blue shield is considered to be harmful to the ethical conduct of the police and the safety of the public. As per the attitude portrayed by the member, most officers chose to abide by the blue code provisions to avoid being harassed and encounter retaliation. The police can put into consideration the oral history as one of the techniques and strategies when it comes to investigating the police culture. Through the process, the desired change in police culture can be established.

The code is not ideal as it promotes various unethical behaviors among the police forces as the officers tend to cover up for the mistakes done by their peers. The application of force, as depicted in the police departments, is among the common crimes within the forces, and this is highly protected by the existing code. Police officers mainly apply the code when bending the rules to prevent their peers from facing litigation charges. Unlawful actions committed with the acquisitive motive renders the code inapplicable.

The effects of the code should be minimized by exposing it to ensure it becomes relevant in enhancing and supporting ethical behavior within the police departments. Curbing the impact of the blue shield culture can be made possible by exposing and reporting the officers who follow and adhere to the code without valuing the effects it has on the citizens they were sworn to protect. For instance, individuals are required to undergo a background check of the criminal records before being admitted into the police academy.

Another testing, like the polygraph testing and the psychological evaluation, should be conducted for the potential recruits before allowing them to join the police force (Chin & Wells, 1998). The test is crucial in coming up with police officers who are more likely to discourage the wrongdoings of their peers. Police are taken through some basic training to guide them to behave ethically while in their respective departments.