THE impact of corruption on policing is more harmful than perceived by the public and even policymakers. Whenever basic functions of law and order are compromised by corrupt practices, the consequences on society are immense and immeasurable.

Corruption among police personnel results in public mistrust and lack of confidence in the police force. If the public is to respect the law, they must be confident that police personnel themselves adhere to law and order.

A corrupt police force will both directly and indirectly destruct and devalue ethical standards in society. If members of the public strongly feel and perceive the police to be highly corrupted, this can make some of them more willing to engage in financially lucrative criminal acts.

Police personnel who are willing to engage with criminal syndicates, especially with those syndicates that engage in drug trafficking, the illegal commercial sex trade, human trafficking, gambling, credit card fraud and criminal breach of trust will eventually destroy the reputation of a nation.

There are other areas of police corruption that prevail widely but are less known to the public. This includes, but is not limited to, shady deals with transport companies that violate traffic rules and regulations, allowing both licensed and unlicensed nightclubs to operate after hours, licensing, protecting gangs that control building renovation contractors especially in working and middle class neighbourhoods, and receiving lucrative payoffs or bribes when awarding contracts to cronies in purchasing equipment and services.

To address the root causes of corruption, the influence of the political, economic, cultural and social environments must be weighed. These influences must be taken into consideration when developing regulations and strategies to reduce and eventually eliminate police corruption. Most of the time, however, police top brass address the symptoms instead of the root underlying factors and causes of corruption within their ranks.

Low education qualifications, low salaries and poor working conditions have been identified as some of the major factors associated with corruption among the lower ranks. They are typically involved in petty acts of corruption.

However, these factors do not account for corruption among senior police officers who are better educated and earn higher salaries than the rank and file. They are involved in acts of corruption despite the fact that they are able to use their discretionary powers by virtue of their positions to act or not to act against criminal elements and/or syndicates.

Not surprisingly, senior police officers are less frequently arrested and charged in criminal courts for corruption. The domino effect will most probably be triggered if more are arrested and charged, and this can threaten the status quo.

The complex nature of policing means that the issue of ethics and integrity is central to the prevention and control of corruption. Recruitment and selection of the best qualified candidates regardless of colour, creed or religion; ongoing in-service training; promotion based entirely on merit; posting the most able to critical positions; an effective disciplinary body; and an independent commission on police misconduct and corruption are vital to the development of a policing culture that is intolerant of corruption.

Policymakers and top police leadership can be very influential in addressing corruption. They can steer the force in the right direction or they can ignore the problem and let it deteriorate further. By choosing the latter, they are making all in society victims of this crime.

Policymakers and top police leaders must have the moral consciousness and obligation to choose the former.



P. SUNDRAMOORTHY

Research Team on

Crime & Policing

Universiti Sains Malaysia