This is a very interesting decision with who rank robbers use to have wanted posted on every postal office building across the nation while, now we have individuals who have certain positions of power and their picture is framed on certain board rooms. This all co insides within police legitimacy and the effectiveness of these police department if the administration for officers is corrupt then the officers may follow the same lines in terms of the officer following certain beliefs of corruption inside of the department. The speaker in this video also made a core belief of many come to light that corruption is used as an excuse to justify makes instead of taking responsibility for the action of the individuals. Frank Serpico pointed out much of the corruption going on within officers inside of the NYPD only to lose his much of his own personality during that time due to officers going after him for his unconformity to their beliefs the police commissioner allowed for all officers to accepting payouts plainclothes officers would stop pursuing certain crimes for certain amounts of cash. Serpico mentioned an individual who lost most of his freedom due to announcing that Israel had nukes. Whistleblowers as Frank gave several examples need more protection on a governmental level as in many cases much of these individuals for announcing corruption and trying to bring these to light have faced much of their own trials and tribulations. These officers in NYPD faced much gratuities or they wanted to have their own personal title stealing money out of the hands of the citizens that are working hard ensuring that everything the city needed got done. The whistleblowers as mentioned in this video have tried to prevent major losses in life, catastrophe, and finical issues that may have affected the nation if these individuals or organizations wouldn’t have spoken up. Corruption is a means of selfishness what needs to be done to overcome this issue is look to the better light of the cause such as a better, city, county, state, nation. With the big picture that Frank Serpico this was the very fight itself against corruption. Eagle001
It is very troubling that many people who are some of the most corrupt people in our nation are often those people who we put high up on our social pedestals. They are often role models for many people even though they are very corrupt and do many illegal things to make themselves better off. Having people who will step up and put their neck out there to tell people the truth about corruption are the type of people we should value within our society. We need to have people we can trust running our government, our huge companies, etc. because they represent us and should be working to make our lives better and not just their own. Pack001
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" I believe that it is often the positions themselves that lead to corruption. Although it is reliant on specific individuals, I think that it is also very reliant on the seats of power and how they are arranged. And I agree, those in power should be ones we can trust. But this is no easy task and the best way to take car of it is to slowly cure the corruption from these positions. - AJC001
The Whistleblowers/lamplighters in a police organization are very important to have in order to control the amount of corruption in the department. Like the speaker in the video said, it is a very dangerous job to have because you risk being rejected by your fellow officers which violates the Blue Wall camaraderie code. Frank Serpico was an NYPD whistleblower that unrevealed the corruption happening in his very own department. Some call them heroes while other call them traitors to their own kind. In my opinion, I think it is great to have officers who are willing to step up and help fix the corruption in their department. As we all know, only 20% of a officers will cause about 80% of the problems in a single department alone. So, if we can eliminate corrupted officers within the police organization then officers would be less scrutinized not only in public but on social media. Frank Serpico was the first whistleblower in the NYPD to speak up against his own fellow officers and confess to the Knapp Comission of 1972. Later on, Serpico was shot in the face and his fellow officers refused to aid him (even though he survived). Although whistleblowers are actually a good thing to have in the department in the eyes of a supervisor or police chief, it is a bad thing in the eyes of local patrol officers. I believe that whistleblowers are a necessary thing to have in a police department. Local patrol officers have the absolute most discretion in their daily job duties, which is why corruption is such an easy thing to give into. An officer that takes a bribe instead of taking someone to jail can be a very problematic situation because justice is not being properly served. If officers knew that there is a whistleblower in the department then they may be less likely to be corrupt knowing that they could not get away with it. I like how the speaker says "remember, anyone can whistle" but that is not the case in the police departments. Officers do not want to tell on their partners because of the blue wall code that they need to abide by. Bry001
Controlling the corruption is so important for all departments as this limits much problems departments may face father on. Frank being called a traitor to his own kind highlights just the level in which these officers wanted to protect their follow blue. He failed to get support and had problems created from being a person who wanted to create a positive change inside of society. The blue wall is so important to officer not wanting to violate their panther in the field and has even created a wall of protection for corruptness to certain extent. Eagle001
Being a whistleblower in a small town police department is stressful enough let alone in the large metropolitan police agencies. With that being said, having whistleblowers is a double edged sword most definitely. It’s good to have them because it lowers the corruption levels which in the big cities like LA, Chicago, and NYC it runs absolutely rampant. The negative side of being a whistleblower is kind of like being a mole, once others find out who’s the mole (in this case whistleblower), they will want that person dead and will do anything to achieve that goal. In Mr. Serpico’s case, after he refused to be a part of the New York City’s corruption in the police department, they tried to get him killed in the line of duty which in turn forced him to blow the whistle on the department and also leave the states and reside in Switzerland. As we know, only 20% of the officers in any department will cause 80% of the problems and that is very prevalent when it comes to corruption. Most departments can deal with grass eating cops because they don’t really go out of their way to get what they need so the real issue lies with the meat eaters. As Dr. White said in class cops are the only people who can come to work sober, sad, and broke and leave that 8 hour shift drunk, happy, and rich. That is why whistleblowing is so important to those big departments with long outstanding histories of having corruption throughout the department. Discretion along with the respect for your fellow officer also deals hand in hand with corruption. The respect aspect matters because if your partner is starting to perform some corrupt acts like targeting low risk offenders like drug users, and essentially bullying money out of them, you as the partner needs to show the corrupt officer that he needs to respect the badge and that you are willing to cross that blue line and do what is right and dealing with the misconduct. The part that discretion plays in is when you are the officer that has the opportunities to be involved with corruption. You bust a drug dealer and you pull 3 thousand dollars out of his pocket, you could easily take 500 from him because who is the courts and internal affairs going to believe, the drug dealer or the police officer? It’s situations like that where it really shows why you became a police officer and shows that you have the discretion not to get sucked into the dark hole that is police corruption. RM001
I agree with the whistle blowers being a huge role in the departments it would reduce corruption. It is sad that we have so much corruption in the force especially because there the ones who are suppose to be helping people out not trying to be cruel. You hit a lot of good points and did a good job on this. CRC001
Many officers get the badge and think that they are above everyone. Serpico states that corrupt people think that they can’t get in trouble because they are the law. As stated from Serpico this is a job and you have to be fair and equal to everyone. Many people who are corrupt get taught from the people above who run the whole police department. People say that Serpico is a rat and he traded on his brothers but in the end he is doing the right thing by telling people what happen. Small towns face problems like this and it is hard to control but I couldn’t even imagine the bigger cities that are corrupt. It would be hard to get everyone that’s corrupt out. It’s our younger generation that is being taught the correct way to go about things that need to change things around. The government is another big reason on why things haven’t been changed yet with corruption. The government needs to give more protection on the people that are coming forth with information about their departments. If not, they have to go through all of these trials and tribulations. They need to give protection because just like Serpico said he had to move to Switzerland because they tried killing him in the line of duty. If you have a partner who is starting to do corrupt acts and you know of it; it is your job to say to him that you will turn him in if he doesn’t start doing the right thing. It all starts with the teaching of the students then the hiring part. They need to hire the best candidates for these jobs. We need to try and weed many of the people out who are corrupt. We are on the right track but the thing is we are not going to get rid of everyone being corrupt. It goes back to the twenty eighty rule. I think it is very necessary to have whistle blowers in the department just making sure that things like this don’t happen. It would really make people think about taking that money from a drug dealer or in general just being corrupt. CRC001
In the first part of the video Mr. Serpico talks about how he does not believe that being corrupt is part of the human nature as many other people believe, and that since we as a people believe it is part of our nature we try to justify it in any way we can. He also speaks about how many people who holds high titles are often the people who think they can use that title to better themselves by deceiving those they are supposed to serve and protect, it gives us as a people this sense of doubt and that we should question the credibility of the titles of these people. Mr. Serpico talks about how many people want to speak out when they see corruption because they not only want to protect themselves but they also want to protect their families and their own names from the scrutiny. Mr. Serpico refused to be a part of the vicious corruption within the NYPD and decided to speak out on the department and tell people what was going on. Because Mr. Serpico "blew the whistle" on the department's wrong-doings, they tried to get him killed and thus he had to flee to Switzerland for safety. Many of his fellow officers had a problem with him doing this because he had broken "the blue wall of silence", where police officers keep everything between them and do not rat each other out and tell other people about what they do. In Mr. Serpico's case however I would argue that what he did did not break this code because he was doing what he thought was right not only for himself but for the people of his community. Many people can find inspiration in his story, to do the right thing even if it means you may be subject to retaliation or scrutiny from your own brothers and sisters in blue. Being able to keep the trust of your fellow officers is key when working with them, however it is also your duty to keep them from doing wrong and unjust deeds so that you can continue to do the right thing. Being able to distinguish from good and corrupt acts is one way a situation can show what type of police you are or are going to become. Pack001
I agree with Serpico on his statement that not all human beings are corrupt. He himself is proof of that statement. I love his emphasis on the importance of whistle blowing, and why it is some important. The fact that he prefers to call his organization operation lamplight is cool in my opinion as well, since he recognizes the negative connotations that come with the term whistle blower. -OKC001
In the first part Mr. Serpico refutes the fact that it corruption is a large part of human nature. he also states that the average working man or women are not corrupt, but that the individuals who hold important titles and jobs are corrupt. They use their title for personal gain and deceive the very people they have sworn to protect. I agree with Mr. Serpico in that society does need whistleblowers. he states that they can help save money, save embaressment, and even save lives and catastrophies. This is a very powerful statement and this shows that he is still fighting the fight against corruption. he is providing inspiration to the men and women who see something and wants to say something. Mr. Serpico also states that his choice of being a whistle blower was a dangerous one. JE001
It is sickening to know that there are police officers, the men and women who have taken and oath to protect and serve their communities, who are going against their duties and performing corrupt actions. Mr. Serpico was incredibly brave in choosing to be a whistleblower, or lamplighter, because as he stated it had many grave consequences and all whistleblowers need protection. Mr. Serpico said that all whistleblowers will receive retaliation. This retaliation can vary from threats, being ostracized, blacklisted, fired, sent for psychological evaluation, to being neutralized. After Mr. Serpico exposed the corruption in the New York City Police Department, his brothers in blue tried to get him killed. This resulted in Serpico fleeing America and seeking refuge in Switzerland. Technically, Serpico had broken the blue wall of silence, which forbids officers from reporting any of their fellow officers' wrong doings. All of his colleagues felt that they had been betrayed by their own, and this was why they had reacted the way they did. I believe the blue wall should only cover wrongdoings to an extent, and I believe what the officers in Serpico's story surpasses what it should cover. Of course, it is always great to have the trust of your fellow colleagues, especially in a police officer's line of work, but there is only so much that you can hide from the public before you find yourself in the middle of it all. Next thing you know, someone blew the whistle and you and you are knee deep in corruption. Overall, I feel like he did the right thing in this situation by exposing the department. As bad as all of this is, it starts to sound like almost all cops are bad guys and the only good ones out there are the whistelblowers. However, we must remember the eighty twenty rule. Eight percent of cops are good, while twenty percent of cops are knuckleheads. Unfortunately, the public does not see things this way. Whenever they hear about one police officer screwing up, they immediately look at police as a whole instead of evaluating the individual. zmw001
I agree with your statement at the end of your comment about an officer screwing up in a situation and the entire police community is at blame. The media has too much control over how these police accidents are portrayed. Although, there is still corruption within the police departments all around the US. twenty percent of police officers tend to cause eighty percent of the problems in the department. If one officer looks bad, the entire police community does as well. Every department needs at least one whistleblower/lamplighter in the division. Justice cannot be served to the public just by police officers, it must also can be served from an officer to another officer if corruption is taking place. The blue wall does not protect every officer, some must be terminator from the force for the greater good. Bry001
I agree with Frank Serpico, I do not believe that all people are inherently corrupt. But I also believe that everywhere you go you can find corrupt people. As Frank said, we need to honor whistleblowers, for they are very important. As Frank said, some people believe they are too big to have to abide by the laws of our nation, and police officers are not above that. Corrupt cops are a poison in their line of work, and do so so much damage. A corrupt cop can hurt his fellow officers, damage his department’s credibility within the law enforcement community, and destroy that department's reputation among the public. This is why whistleblowers are so important. When corruption is so deep ceeded in an organization, like it was with the nypd in Frank Serpico’s time, whistleblowers are needed. When he stated that an officer had wrote that he was a rat, and that people still harbored hate for him, I was very surprised honestly. However, as we learned in class, these officers go to great lengths to justify what they do. Whether it be them blaming the system they were trained in, and learned how to police in, or justifying it because of the perils of the job, these men feel what they do is right. Frank Serpico should be a hero in New York City. The amount of corruption was so widespread throughout the department, I am surprised Frank wasn’t taken out sooner. The fact that they never actually did a formal investigation on his shooting is so angering to me. His fellow officers took him to that “drug raid” to be murdered, and nothing was done about it. And after all of this, they watched him as he bled to death on the ground. Rat or not, how could they just watch their fellow officer sit there and suffer in a pool of his own blood. Thankfully he was saved however, and he is still alive today. A police officer can find many reasons to accept being corrupt, and this is no different. I really hope there will be a day when Frank Serpico can come back to New York City, a city that he arguably saved from the mass corruption of the NYPD.-OKC001
i agree with both of you that blue wall is something that can not be built back up. It is a trust thing you have my back i got yours. If you do not have that you do not have much of a bond with the fellow officers to be able to work efficiently with each other witch could not only cause problems in the department but also in the community to try to serve. Steel001
Frank Serpico makes me realize how low people can get. The men and women that promise to protect and serve should be held to higher standards and should have some sort of moral dignity to not be corrupt. Frank Serpico's organization called knapp is a great innovation to keep departments in line. While the Knapp Commission began its investigation of corruption in the police department in June 1970, public hearings did not start until October 18, 1971. In addition to the testimony of "lamplighters" (whistleblowers) Serpico and Durk, testimony from dozens of other witnesses, including former Police Commissioner Howard R. Leary, corrupt patrolmen, and the victims of police shakedowns were also worked with. Most of these departments that have corruption problems often start at the top of the pyramid on go down. If a department's leaders are corrupt and sketchy the whole department will have have a spot of the news which will make people think negatively about police more than they already do. With many government agencies constantly reviewing departments for corruption things still get unnoticed and cause major problems. Meat eaters are the cops that take larger amounts of money or anything of value, a grass eater is the cop who might take 20 bucks here and their. Corruption in law enforcement is a problem in many departments across the world and the only way it will be fixed is through higher education and by making an example out of those who do chose to be corrupt. KLICK001
I agree with most of the time with corruption it will start from the top and work its way down. lower ranking officers will think what the higher ranking officer is doing is right and may follow in their lead. high ranking officers hold an important look. where all the other officer will look up to them. Evo001
i agree Klick. it's pretty sad to see how low certain officers can go to a point that they turn to corruption to satisfy their occupational needs. things need to change and change fast or it's only going to snowball out of control. RM001
It's remarkable to think that a department could become that corrupt to be able to get away with so much crime. How Frank Sperico described it that corruption goes along with more gaining more power. As a whistle blower he is persecuted by many fellow officers whether or not if they were a grass eater or a meat eater. Even though most of the corruption is only 20 percent of the police officers they are judged as a whole. It is very dangerous being a whistle blower but it is a necessary need; for all aspects to keep departments and bureaucracy's clean and transparent from corruption. the corrupt officers would try to kill him off and/or discredit him so his testify would be invalid to save their own skin. Like Sperico stated a whitle blower is needed to keep corruption down and people are not corrupt by nature. Steel001
"Even though 20% of officers are corrupt, they are judged as a whole." As unfair as that is, it is extremely valid. Even when people ask what my major is and what i plan to do with it, i get negative comments. Its what media broadcasts and what is targeted on social media. Whistleblowers face grave consequences and i think that they have courage to do what they do. behappy001
Corruption can happen at any job, but the most destrimental corruption would have to in police force. this is due to the large effect it can have on the community and the people you server. Its crazy that one single officer can make a whole department look corrupt. Now a days most officers are wont tell on their fellow officers. Even whistle blowers will remain silent due to the blue wall. Most departments now a days try and bring down that blue wall to remove the hidden corruption in the departments. Its sad to think that officers will hate on others officers for doing something right. like in this case. whistle blowers have one of the hardest jobs anyone could have. They have to tell on people that they may have been around their whole life. Most officers that are corrupt are chasing the money. Some officers seek out way to make money off people but others will take when offered. Maybe higher pay will end this. EVO001
I think that whistleblowers are essential for police departments. They allow for less corruption, fewer financial issues, and less loss of life. If someone in the department takes a stand and makes corruption known within, it can make for less corruption and other issues to follow. In the video, Frank Serpico, a retired NYPD officer took the stand and spoke about the corruption going on within the department. He spoke of the grave consequences that whistleblowers hold, including retaliated, ostracized, resented, and fired. The blue wall is everything to officers, and when that is broken, so much resentment is in hand. If whistleblowers can speak up, it will decrease the amount of hatred toward towards law enforcement officers and the negativity the media holds. As Dr. White says, 20% of officers are corrupt where the other 80% are well honored officers. If that 20% can be pinpointed, viewpoints of law enforcers can positively change. In the video, Serpico says that in response to his published books, 40 years later, a NYPD retired sergeant spoke against him. He said, "Frank, you are a rat. You turned on us and we will never forget it." Frank's response was, "I turned on them? Not that they turned on a uniform they wear and the city and county they they are supposed to serve?" He has a great point. Not all officers are good officers, that 20% makes all the others look bad. What Serpico spoke up about could have made a huge difference, in some cases life or death. He was turned on by brothers he served with day and day out and that speaks for itself. Some call whistleblowers heroes, where others consider them traitors. Pick your choice. Serpico also mentioned at the end that he would much rather be considered a "lamplighter," in which he continues to say that anyone can whistle, just be careful about who you're surrounded by. "Whistle a merry tune, he says, and keep lighting lamps. The world would be a darker place without you." I respect Serpico and the courage he had to stand out and explain his experiences he faced and the corruption he witnessed. He stood for what he believed in and he was turned on by brothers that should have had his back til the bitter end. Whistleblowers are necessary to end corruption. behappy001
It is imperative that any instance of police corruption be reported to proper authorities withing the department or within the local government. If police take bribes from criminals then that would undermine the ability of the whole department to effectively combat crime. Frank Serpico did a great service to the city of New York by reporting what he saw and testifying against corrupt officers. Just a few corrupt officers can completely destroy the public's trust in the police department. Public trust is imperative to effective policing since the majority of reported crimes are reported by the public, if the public does not feel safe in reporting crime due to police corruption then that will cripple any good policeman's ability to enforce the law. In such a close fraternity as a police department, it would be incredibly difficult to report a fellow officer for a crime, and fear of reprisal could cause many officers to also not report wrongdoing among their fellow officers. CoolGuy001
Every cop who identifies crooked co-workers suffers retaliation at the hands of those same crooked cops.U.S. residents have no idea how corrupt their local law enforcement and even local fire department personnel are... it is staggering. After Mr. Serpico exposed the corruption in the New York City Police Department, his brothers in blue tried to get him killed. That there alone lets you know that officers really stick to that blue wall of silence and you wonder why the cops have a bad rep now.This is why whistleblowers are so important. When corruption is so deep ceded in an organization, like it was with the NYPD in Frank Serpico’s time. In the video, Serpico says that in response to his published books, 40 years later, a NYPD retired sergeant spoke against him. Even if you are a retired officer you still live up to all the rules that every officers follow, in order to make it in the Criminal Justice field. Most of these departments that have corruption problems often start at the top of the pyramid on go down. For example, you have that one officer who scored the highest on the test, done almost everything right, and acted as an overachiever with every task to get what they want. But the time eventually comes when you get tired of the goody two shoes act and get placed undercover and falls in love with that life too much. That is going on in every department in this world. Mr. Serpico refused to be a part of the vicious corruption within the NYPD and decided to speak out on the department and tell people what was going on. I definitely support him 100% for choosing the right side to go on.-NIKE001
This video focuses a lot of Frank Serpico, a so-called "whistle-blower" on the New York City Police Department. There is a very strong blue-wall philosophy and culture within our police departments. This ideal gives officers a feeling of needing to over each other's back at all times from any outside force and any administrative force within. This blue wall also gives a large barrier for corruption to operate. Many individuals who are corrupt are discovered by their coworkers and reported at that time. With a massive "blue-wall" in the way, corruption within the police forces is often well hidden and impossible to find and fix. That is were individuals like Frank Serpico come in. These individuals, known as lamp-lighters or whistle-blowers, are an essential tool to uncovering the dark and crooked plots of corrupt officials. These individuals are a way through the wall, a sort of smuggler's route. Frank Serpico and many others like him have put their lives and careers on the line in order to successfully aid in the removal of the deep-rooted corruption within the police departments. These individuals use their involvement within the force to seek out and report their fellow corrupted officials. These "snitches" give us a means to curing the problems. Corruption of the police departments heavily hinder the trust from the public and their ability of honest officers to do their jobs correctly and fully. The simple idea that the department is corrupted leads to a lack of faith from the public which reduces the likelihood of crimes being reported as well as reducing the likelihood that any good officers will be trusted. Frank Serpico uses his position to risk his life and career as he helps foil the individuals who endeavor is corruption. Personally, I think this man was very brave and I believe that these individuals are the key to helping keep a stronger, more reliable law enforcement system and are only means to helping our society grow and regain trust in the police departments. Although I understand that turning on your own "family" can often be seen as a very heinous act, I feel it is necessary for some individuals in order to help us ring out the filth. I don't believe I could just rat on everyone in my department, but I feel this position is important for our progress and should definitely be a weapon we should continue to use against corrupt officials. - AJC001
The video houses on "whistle blowers" and the speaker states his beliefs on the concept. Tis shows the integrity or the accountability and honesty of members of police departments. The concept keeps people in check and uses it as a process as checking in on other officers inside the police departments. In class we learned about the Blue Wall and how strong the concept really is. The Blue Wall is very important to co workers in law enforcement. Other police officers are the only ones who know how strong this really is. Police officers know what the job is like for each other and they know that each other have each others backs. This puts officers in bad situations and acts almost as audits. This can create bad blood between members of police departments. Retaliation is a very important factor in this case, blacklisted, fired, threats, and etc. Police departments are in charge of serving the community and keeping it safe, they also need to treat everyone fairly and uphold the trust between departments and the communities they serve. So you have to have a method of making sure you are employing good cops and have some sort of "checks and balances". We have learned that bigger police departments are harder to check, the smaller the department the easier it is to know who works for the department and keep track of what is going on. The bigger the department, the harder it is to know what is happening and to be able to know all the officers that are working for the department. Blackhawks001
Response he gets when he talks about corruption is it is "human nature." That made me chuckle when I heard that in the beginning. I do not see anyone who is educated say that. I do not understand how corruption is human response? Maybe greedy humans and/or selfish humans. But not for every human. But other than that, this guy is awesome for what he does. He is one of the large group who actually sees what is going on, and does not follow like the rest of the herd. I do like how he said that the average human being is not corrupt. Because we are hard working people who have no power that we can abuse. There are too many incidents where people get in trouble for speaking out. Happy that there is a group of people taking action on this situation that is going on. But solving this in the career field I am going into, is just to make sure about the people that are getting hired can be trusted. Trust means everything. If you cannot trust the person you hired to protect the streets, that person should not be working in that position. -Ibanez001
This is a very interesting decision with who rank robbers use to have wanted posted on every postal office building across the nation while, now we have individuals who have certain positions of power and their picture is framed on certain board rooms. This all co insides within police legitimacy and the effectiveness of these police department if the administration for officers is corrupt then the officers may follow the same lines in terms of the officer following certain beliefs of corruption inside of the department. The speaker in this video also made a core belief of many come to light that corruption is used as an excuse to justify makes instead of taking responsibility for the action of the individuals. Frank Serpico pointed out much of the corruption going on within officers inside of the NYPD only to lose his much of his own personality during that time due to officers going after him for his unconformity to their beliefs the police commissioner allowed for all officers to accepting payouts plainclothes officers would stop pursuing certain crimes for certain amounts of cash. Serpico mentioned an individual who lost most of his freedom due to announcing that Israel had nukes. Whistleblowers as Frank gave several examples need more protection on a governmental level as in many cases much of these individuals for announcing corruption and trying to bring these to light have faced much of their own trials and tribulations. These officers in NYPD faced much gratuities or they wanted to have their own personal title stealing money out of the hands of the citizens that are working hard ensuring that everything the city needed got done. The whistleblowers as mentioned in this video have tried to prevent major losses in life, catastrophe, and finical issues that may have affected the nation if these individuals or organizations wouldn’t have spoken up. Corruption is a means of selfishness what needs to be done to overcome this issue is look to the better light of the cause such as a better, city, county, state, nation. With the big picture that Frank Serpico this was the very fight itself against corruption. Eagle001
ReplyDeleteIt is very troubling that many people who are some of the most corrupt people in our nation are often those people who we put high up on our social pedestals. They are often role models for many people even though they are very corrupt and do many illegal things to make themselves better off. Having people who will step up and put their neck out there to tell people the truth about corruption are the type of people we should value within our society. We need to have people we can trust running our government, our huge companies, etc. because they represent us and should be working to make our lives better and not just their own. Pack001
Delete"Absolute power corrupts absolutely"
DeleteI believe that it is often the positions themselves that lead to corruption. Although it is reliant on specific individuals, I think that it is also very reliant on the seats of power and how they are arranged. And I agree, those in power should be ones we can trust. But this is no easy task and the best way to take car of it is to slowly cure the corruption from these positions. - AJC001
The Whistleblowers/lamplighters in a police organization are very important to have in order to control the amount of corruption in the department. Like the speaker in the video said, it is a very dangerous job to have because you risk being rejected by your fellow officers which violates the Blue Wall camaraderie code. Frank Serpico was an NYPD whistleblower that unrevealed the corruption happening in his very own department. Some call them heroes while other call them traitors to their own kind. In my opinion, I think it is great to have officers who are willing to step up and help fix the corruption in their department. As we all know, only 20% of a officers will cause about 80% of the problems in a single department alone. So, if we can eliminate corrupted officers within the police organization then officers would be less scrutinized not only in public but on social media. Frank Serpico was the first whistleblower in the NYPD to speak up against his own fellow officers and confess to the Knapp Comission of 1972. Later on, Serpico was shot in the face and his fellow officers refused to aid him (even though he survived). Although whistleblowers are actually a good thing to have in the department in the eyes of a supervisor or police chief, it is a bad thing in the eyes of local patrol officers. I believe that whistleblowers are a necessary thing to have in a police department. Local patrol officers have the absolute most discretion in their daily job duties, which is why corruption is such an easy thing to give into. An officer that takes a bribe instead of taking someone to jail can be a very problematic situation because justice is not being properly served. If officers knew that there is a whistleblower in the department then they may be less likely to be corrupt knowing that they could not get away with it. I like how the speaker says "remember, anyone can whistle" but that is not the case in the police departments. Officers do not want to tell on their partners because of the blue wall code that they need to abide by. Bry001
ReplyDeleteControlling the corruption is so important for all departments as this limits much problems departments may face father on. Frank being called a traitor to his own kind highlights just the level in which these officers wanted to protect their follow blue. He failed to get support and had problems created from being a person who wanted to create a positive change inside of society. The blue wall is so important to officer not wanting to violate their panther in the field and has even created a wall of protection for corruptness to certain extent. Eagle001
DeleteBeing a whistleblower in a small town police department is stressful enough let alone in the large metropolitan police agencies. With that being said, having whistleblowers is a double edged sword most definitely. It’s good to have them because it lowers the corruption levels which in the big cities like LA, Chicago, and NYC it runs absolutely rampant. The negative side of being a whistleblower is kind of like being a mole, once others find out who’s the mole (in this case whistleblower), they will want that person dead and will do anything to achieve that goal. In Mr. Serpico’s case, after he refused to be a part of the New York City’s corruption in the police department, they tried to get him killed in the line of duty which in turn forced him to blow the whistle on the department and also leave the states and reside in Switzerland. As we know, only 20% of the officers in any department will cause 80% of the problems and that is very prevalent when it comes to corruption. Most departments can deal with grass eating cops because they don’t really go out of their way to get what they need so the real issue lies with the meat eaters. As Dr. White said in class cops are the only people who can come to work sober, sad, and broke and leave that 8 hour shift drunk, happy, and rich. That is why whistleblowing is so important to those big departments with long outstanding histories of having corruption throughout the department. Discretion along with the respect for your fellow officer also deals hand in hand with corruption. The respect aspect matters because if your partner is starting to perform some corrupt acts like targeting low risk offenders like drug users, and essentially bullying money out of them, you as the partner needs to show the corrupt officer that he needs to respect the badge and that you are willing to cross that blue line and do what is right and dealing with the misconduct. The part that discretion plays in is when you are the officer that has the opportunities to be involved with corruption. You bust a drug dealer and you pull 3 thousand dollars out of his pocket, you could easily take 500 from him because who is the courts and internal affairs going to believe, the drug dealer or the police officer? It’s situations like that where it really shows why you became a police officer and shows that you have the discretion not to get sucked into the dark hole that is police corruption. RM001
ReplyDeleteI agree with the whistle blowers being a huge role in the departments it would reduce corruption. It is sad that we have so much corruption in the force especially because there the ones who are suppose to be helping people out not trying to be cruel. You hit a lot of good points and did a good job on this. CRC001
DeleteMany officers get the badge and think that they are above everyone. Serpico states that corrupt people think that they can’t get in trouble because they are the law. As stated from Serpico this is a job and you have to be fair and equal to everyone. Many people who are corrupt get taught from the people above who run the whole police department. People say that Serpico is a rat and he traded on his brothers but in the end he is doing the right thing by telling people what happen. Small towns face problems like this and it is hard to control but I couldn’t even imagine the bigger cities that are corrupt. It would be hard to get everyone that’s corrupt out. It’s our younger generation that is being taught the correct way to go about things that need to change things around. The government is another big reason on why things haven’t been changed yet with corruption. The government needs to give more protection on the people that are coming forth with information about their departments. If not, they have to go through all of these trials and tribulations. They need to give protection because just like Serpico said he had to move to Switzerland because they tried killing him in the line of duty. If you have a partner who is starting to do corrupt acts and you know of it; it is your job to say to him that you will turn him in if he doesn’t start doing the right thing. It all starts with the teaching of the students then the hiring part. They need to hire the best candidates for these jobs. We need to try and weed many of the people out who are corrupt. We are on the right track but the thing is we are not going to get rid of everyone being corrupt. It goes back to the twenty eighty rule. I think it is very necessary to have whistle blowers in the department just making sure that things like this don’t happen. It would really make people think about taking that money from a drug dealer or in general just being corrupt. CRC001
ReplyDeleteIn the first part of the video Mr. Serpico talks about how he does not believe that being corrupt is part of the human nature as many other people believe, and that since we as a people believe it is part of our nature we try to justify it in any way we can. He also speaks about how many people who holds high titles are often the people who think they can use that title to better themselves by deceiving those they are supposed to serve and protect, it gives us as a people this sense of doubt and that we should question the credibility of the titles of these people. Mr. Serpico talks about how many people want to speak out when they see corruption because they not only want to protect themselves but they also want to protect their families and their own names from the scrutiny. Mr. Serpico refused to be a part of the vicious corruption within the NYPD and decided to speak out on the department and tell people what was going on. Because Mr. Serpico "blew the whistle" on the department's wrong-doings, they tried to get him killed and thus he had to flee to Switzerland for safety. Many of his fellow officers had a problem with him doing this because he had broken "the blue wall of silence", where police officers keep everything between them and do not rat each other out and tell other people about what they do. In Mr. Serpico's case however I would argue that what he did did not break this code because he was doing what he thought was right not only for himself but for the people of his community. Many people can find inspiration in his story, to do the right thing even if it means you may be subject to retaliation or scrutiny from your own brothers and sisters in blue. Being able to keep the trust of your fellow officers is key when working with them, however it is also your duty to keep them from doing wrong and unjust deeds so that you can continue to do the right thing. Being able to distinguish from good and corrupt acts is one way a situation can show what type of police you are or are going to become. Pack001
ReplyDeleteI agree with Serpico on his statement that not all human beings are corrupt. He himself is proof of that statement. I love his emphasis on the importance of whistle blowing, and why it is some important. The fact that he prefers to call his organization operation lamplight is cool in my opinion as well, since he recognizes the negative connotations that come with the term whistle blower. -OKC001
DeleteIn the first part Mr. Serpico refutes the fact that it corruption is a large part of human nature. he also states that the average working man or women are not corrupt, but that the individuals who hold important titles and jobs are corrupt. They use their title for personal gain and deceive the very people they have sworn to protect. I agree with Mr. Serpico in that society does need whistleblowers. he states that they can help save money, save embaressment, and even save lives and catastrophies. This is a very powerful statement and this shows that he is still fighting the fight against corruption. he is providing inspiration to the men and women who see something and wants to say something. Mr. Serpico also states that his choice of being a whistle blower was a dangerous one. JE001
ReplyDeleteIt is sickening to know that there are police officers, the men and women who have taken and oath to protect and serve their communities, who are going against their duties and performing corrupt actions. Mr. Serpico was incredibly brave in choosing to be a whistleblower, or lamplighter, because as he stated it had many grave consequences and all whistleblowers need protection. Mr. Serpico said that all whistleblowers will receive retaliation. This retaliation can vary from threats, being ostracized, blacklisted, fired, sent for psychological evaluation, to being neutralized. After Mr. Serpico exposed the corruption in the New York City Police Department, his brothers in blue tried to get him killed. This resulted in Serpico fleeing America and seeking refuge in Switzerland. Technically, Serpico had broken the blue wall of silence, which forbids officers from reporting any of their fellow officers' wrong doings. All of his colleagues felt that they had been betrayed by their own, and this was why they had reacted the way they did. I believe the blue wall should only cover wrongdoings to an extent, and I believe what the officers in Serpico's story surpasses what it should cover. Of course, it is always great to have the trust of your fellow colleagues, especially in a police officer's line of work, but there is only so much that you can hide from the public before you find yourself in the middle of it all. Next thing you know, someone blew the whistle and you and you are knee deep in corruption. Overall, I feel like he did the right thing in this situation by exposing the department. As bad as all of this is, it starts to sound like almost all cops are bad guys and the only good ones out there are the whistelblowers. However, we must remember the eighty twenty rule. Eight percent of cops are good, while twenty percent of cops are knuckleheads. Unfortunately, the public does not see things this way. Whenever they hear about one police officer screwing up, they immediately look at police as a whole instead of evaluating the individual. zmw001
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement at the end of your comment about an officer screwing up in a situation and the entire police community is at blame. The media has too much control over how these police accidents are portrayed. Although, there is still corruption within the police departments all around the US. twenty percent of police officers tend to cause eighty percent of the problems in the department. If one officer looks bad, the entire police community does as well. Every department needs at least one whistleblower/lamplighter in the division. Justice cannot be served to the public just by police officers, it must also can be served from an officer to another officer if corruption is taking place. The blue wall does not protect every officer, some must be terminator from the force for the greater good. Bry001
DeleteI agree with Frank Serpico, I do not believe that all people are inherently corrupt. But I also believe that everywhere you go you can find corrupt people. As Frank said, we need to honor whistleblowers, for they are very important. As Frank said, some people believe they are too big to have to abide by the laws of our nation, and police officers are not above that. Corrupt cops are a poison in their line of work, and do so so much damage. A corrupt cop can hurt his fellow officers, damage his department’s credibility within the law enforcement community, and destroy that department's reputation among the public. This is why whistleblowers are so important. When corruption is so deep ceeded in an organization, like it was with the nypd in Frank Serpico’s time, whistleblowers are needed. When he stated that an officer had wrote that he was a rat, and that people still harbored hate for him, I was very surprised honestly. However, as we learned in class, these officers go to great lengths to justify what they do. Whether it be them blaming the system they were trained in, and learned how to police in, or justifying it because of the perils of the job, these men feel what they do is right. Frank Serpico should be a hero in New York City. The amount of corruption was so widespread throughout the department, I am surprised Frank wasn’t taken out sooner. The fact that they never actually did a formal investigation on his shooting is so angering to me. His fellow officers took him to that “drug raid” to be murdered, and nothing was done about it. And after all of this, they watched him as he bled to death on the ground. Rat or not, how could they just watch their fellow officer sit there and suffer in a pool of his own blood. Thankfully he was saved however, and he is still alive today. A police officer can find many reasons to accept being corrupt, and this is no different. I really hope there will be a day when Frank Serpico can come back to New York City, a city that he arguably saved from the mass corruption of the NYPD.-OKC001
ReplyDeletei agree with both of you that blue wall is something that can not be built back up. It is a trust thing you have my back i got yours. If you do not have that you do not have much of a bond with the fellow officers to be able to work efficiently with each other witch could not only cause problems in the department but also in the community to try to serve. Steel001
DeleteFrank Serpico makes me realize how low people can get. The men and women that promise to protect and serve should be held to higher standards and should have some sort of moral dignity to not be corrupt. Frank Serpico's organization called knapp is a great innovation to keep departments in line. While the Knapp Commission began its investigation of corruption in the police department in June 1970, public hearings did not start until October 18, 1971. In addition to the testimony of "lamplighters" (whistleblowers) Serpico and Durk, testimony from dozens of other witnesses, including former Police Commissioner Howard R. Leary, corrupt patrolmen, and the victims of police shakedowns were also worked with.
ReplyDeleteMost of these departments that have corruption problems often start at the top of the pyramid on go down. If a department's leaders are corrupt and sketchy the whole department will have have a spot of the news which will make people think negatively about police more than they already do. With many government agencies constantly reviewing departments for corruption things still get unnoticed and cause major problems. Meat eaters are the cops that take larger amounts of money or anything of value, a grass eater is the cop who might take 20 bucks here and their. Corruption in law enforcement is a problem in many departments across the world and the only way it will be fixed is through higher education and by making an example out of those who do chose to be corrupt.
KLICK001
I agree with most of the time with corruption it will start from the top and work its way down. lower ranking officers will think what the higher ranking officer is doing is right and may follow in their lead. high ranking officers hold an important look. where all the other officer will look up to them. Evo001
Deletei agree Klick. it's pretty sad to see how low certain officers can go to a point that they turn to corruption to satisfy their occupational needs. things need to change and change fast or it's only going to snowball out of control. RM001
DeleteIt's remarkable to think that a department could become that corrupt to be able to get away with so much crime. How Frank Sperico described it that corruption goes along with more gaining more power. As a whistle blower he is persecuted by many fellow officers whether or not if they were a grass eater or a meat eater. Even though most of the corruption is only 20 percent of the police officers they are judged as a whole. It is very dangerous being a whistle blower but it is a necessary need; for all aspects to keep departments and bureaucracy's clean and transparent from corruption. the corrupt officers would try to kill him off and/or discredit him so his testify would be invalid to save their own skin. Like Sperico stated a whitle blower is needed to keep corruption down and people are not corrupt by nature. Steel001
ReplyDelete"Even though 20% of officers are corrupt, they are judged as a whole." As unfair as that is, it is extremely valid. Even when people ask what my major is and what i plan to do with it, i get negative comments. Its what media broadcasts and what is targeted on social media. Whistleblowers face grave consequences and i think that they have courage to do what they do. behappy001
DeleteCorruption can happen at any job, but the most destrimental corruption would have to in police force. this is due to the large effect it can have on the community and the people you server. Its crazy that one single officer can make a whole department look corrupt. Now a days most officers are wont tell on their fellow officers. Even whistle blowers will remain silent due to the blue wall. Most departments now a days try and bring down that blue wall to remove the hidden corruption in the departments. Its sad to think that officers will hate on others officers for doing something right. like in this case. whistle blowers have one of the hardest jobs anyone could have. They have to tell on people that they may have been around their whole life. Most officers that are corrupt are chasing the money. Some officers seek out way to make money off people but others will take when offered. Maybe higher pay will end this. EVO001
ReplyDeleteI think that whistleblowers are essential for police departments. They allow for less corruption, fewer financial issues, and less loss of life. If someone in the department takes a stand and makes corruption known within, it can make for less corruption and other issues to follow. In the video, Frank Serpico, a retired NYPD officer took the stand and spoke about the corruption going on within the department. He spoke of the grave consequences that whistleblowers hold, including retaliated, ostracized, resented, and fired. The blue wall is everything to officers, and when that is broken, so much resentment is in hand. If whistleblowers can speak up, it will decrease the amount of hatred toward towards law enforcement officers and the negativity the media holds. As Dr. White says, 20% of officers are corrupt where the other 80% are well honored officers. If that 20% can be pinpointed, viewpoints of law enforcers can positively change. In the video, Serpico says that in response to his published books, 40 years later, a NYPD retired sergeant spoke against him. He said, "Frank, you are a rat. You turned on us and we will never forget it." Frank's response was, "I turned on them? Not that they turned on a uniform they wear and the city and county they they are supposed to serve?" He has a great point. Not all officers are good officers, that 20% makes all the others look bad. What Serpico spoke up about could have made a huge difference, in some cases life or death. He was turned on by brothers he served with day and day out and that speaks for itself. Some call whistleblowers heroes, where others consider them traitors. Pick your choice. Serpico also mentioned at the end that he would much rather be considered a "lamplighter," in which he continues to say that anyone can whistle, just be careful about who you're surrounded by. "Whistle a merry tune, he says, and keep lighting lamps. The world would be a darker place without you." I respect Serpico and the courage he had to stand out and explain his experiences he faced and the corruption he witnessed. He stood for what he believed in and he was turned on by brothers that should have had his back til the bitter end. Whistleblowers are necessary to end corruption. behappy001
ReplyDeleteIt is imperative that any instance of police corruption be reported to proper authorities withing the department or within the local government. If police take bribes from criminals then that would undermine the ability of the whole department to effectively combat crime. Frank Serpico did a great service to the city of New York by reporting what he saw and testifying against corrupt officers. Just a few corrupt officers can completely destroy the public's trust in the police department. Public trust is imperative to effective policing since the majority of reported crimes are reported by the public, if the public does not feel safe in reporting crime due to police corruption then that will cripple any good policeman's ability to enforce the law. In such a close fraternity as a police department, it would be incredibly difficult to report a fellow officer for a crime, and fear of reprisal could cause many officers to also not report wrongdoing among their fellow officers. CoolGuy001
ReplyDeleteEvery cop who identifies crooked co-workers suffers retaliation at the hands of those same crooked cops.U.S. residents have no idea how corrupt their local law enforcement and even local fire department personnel are... it is staggering. After Mr. Serpico exposed the corruption in the New York City Police Department, his brothers in blue tried to get him killed. That there alone lets you know that officers really stick to that blue wall of silence and you wonder why the cops have a bad rep now.This is why whistleblowers are so important. When corruption is so deep ceded in an organization, like it was with the NYPD in Frank Serpico’s time. In the video, Serpico says that in response to his published books, 40 years later, a NYPD retired sergeant spoke against him. Even if you are a retired officer you still live up to all the rules that every officers follow, in order to make it in the Criminal Justice field. Most of these departments that have corruption problems often start at the top of the pyramid on go down. For example, you have that one officer who scored the highest on the test, done almost everything right, and acted as an overachiever with every task to get what they want. But the time eventually comes when you get tired of the goody two shoes act and get placed undercover and falls in love with that life too much. That is going on in every department in this world. Mr. Serpico refused to be a part of the vicious corruption within the NYPD and decided to speak out on the department and tell people what was going on. I definitely support him 100% for choosing the right side to go on.-NIKE001
ReplyDeleteThis video focuses a lot of Frank Serpico, a so-called "whistle-blower" on the New York City Police Department. There is a very strong blue-wall philosophy and culture within our police departments. This ideal gives officers a feeling of needing to over each other's back at all times from any outside force and any administrative force within. This blue wall also gives a large barrier for corruption to operate. Many individuals who are corrupt are discovered by their coworkers and reported at that time. With a massive "blue-wall" in the way, corruption within the police forces is often well hidden and impossible to find and fix. That is were individuals like Frank Serpico come in. These individuals, known as lamp-lighters or whistle-blowers, are an essential tool to uncovering the dark and crooked plots of corrupt officials. These individuals are a way through the wall, a sort of smuggler's route. Frank Serpico and many others like him have put their lives and careers on the line in order to successfully aid in the removal of the deep-rooted corruption within the police departments. These individuals use their involvement within the force to seek out and report their fellow corrupted officials. These "snitches" give us a means to curing the problems. Corruption of the police departments heavily hinder the trust from the public and their ability of honest officers to do their jobs correctly and fully. The simple idea that the department is corrupted leads to a lack of faith from the public which reduces the likelihood of crimes being reported as well as reducing the likelihood that any good officers will be trusted. Frank Serpico uses his position to risk his life and career as he helps foil the individuals who endeavor is corruption. Personally, I think this man was very brave and I believe that these individuals are the key to helping keep a stronger, more reliable law enforcement system and are only means to helping our society grow and regain trust in the police departments. Although I understand that turning on your own "family" can often be seen as a very heinous act, I feel it is necessary for some individuals in order to help us ring out the filth. I don't believe I could just rat on everyone in my department, but I feel this position is important for our progress and should definitely be a weapon we should continue to use against corrupt officials. - AJC001
ReplyDeleteThe video houses on "whistle blowers" and the speaker states his beliefs on the concept. Tis shows the integrity or the accountability and honesty of members of police departments. The concept keeps people in check and uses it as a process as checking in on other officers inside the police departments. In class we learned about the Blue Wall and how strong the concept really is. The Blue Wall is very important to co workers in law enforcement. Other police officers are the only ones who know how strong this really is. Police officers know what the job is like for each other and they know that each other have each others backs. This puts officers in bad situations and acts almost as audits. This can create bad blood between members of police departments. Retaliation is a very important factor in this case, blacklisted, fired, threats, and etc. Police departments are in charge of serving the community and keeping it safe, they also need to treat everyone fairly and uphold the trust between departments and the communities they serve. So you have to have a method of making sure you are employing good cops and have some sort of "checks and balances". We have learned that bigger police departments are harder to check, the smaller the department the easier it is to know who works for the department and keep track of what is going on. The bigger the department, the harder it is to know what is happening and to be able to know all the officers that are working for the department. Blackhawks001
ReplyDeleteResponse he gets when he talks about corruption is it is "human nature." That made me chuckle when I heard that in the beginning. I do not see anyone who is educated say that. I do not understand how corruption is human response? Maybe greedy humans and/or selfish humans. But not for every human. But other than that, this guy is awesome for what he does. He is one of the large group who actually sees what is going on, and does not follow like the rest of the herd. I do like how he said that the average human being is not corrupt. Because we are hard working people who have no power that we can abuse. There are too many incidents where people get in trouble for speaking out. Happy that there is a group of people taking action on this situation that is going on. But solving this in the career field I am going into, is just to make sure about the people that are getting hired can be trusted. Trust means everything. If you cannot trust the person you hired to protect the streets, that person should not be working in that position.
ReplyDelete-Ibanez001