Police Misconduct Essay

POLICE MISCONDUCT IN NARCOTICS:

A Closer Look into the Corruption of Policing

By Gregory Agoglia
ASU College of Public Programs

Abstract:
      The purpose of this research is to see whether there is a relationship between the location of agencies and the number of corrupt officers within certain regions.   To do this, we sent out a survey all over the country and even did some field studies.
The main reason the survey was done is because we wanted to find out if corruption in policing occurs mostly in rural or urban areas.   We tried to do the study within a one month time period.   The results showed that most of the corruption occurs in the urban areas, more specifically, in our nation’s capitol.
Problem Statement:
      Over the past 40 years, since drug enforcement and trafficking became an issue in the United States, there have been many police officers who would take advantage of their power in certain situations and areas.   Police corruption has posed a significant problem in the US, especially when dealing with narcotics.   Ever since President Nixon had established the “War on Drugs”, dealing with the trafficking and buying/selling of drugs within the US and throughout bordering countries, officers have used their power to coerce drug dealers and carriers for drugs and money.
      For example, some officers would take drugs for themselves that they would normally give to the department as evidence to build a case against the offender or offenders.   Another example would be that officers would make deals with drug dealers as incentives to get drugs and not make an arrest.   Also, monies from drug deals that are seized by police officers sometimes go missing or unreported due to corruption within the department.
      The most memorable and possibly most famous moment in corruption in policing when it comes to narcotics is the case of Frank Lucas and the 70 corrupt NYPD Special Investigations Unit agents involved in the trafficking of heroin....