Corruption

Question 1

What are the key aspects of the definition? (2)

Answer 1

1. ‘Misuse of authority’

2. ‘For personal gain’

Question 2

What are the categories of corruption? (3)

Answer 2

1. Misfeasance
2. Non-feasance
3. Malfeasance

Question 3

What are the costs of corruption? (3)

Answer 3

1. Undermined integrity of law-enforcement, effectiveness of CJS and confidence in police
2. Allow criminal activity to remain undetected/ protected
3. Financial costs: ‘secret tax’, wasted resources

Question 4

What are the types of corruption? (5) and what is the most common?

Answer 4

1. Gratuities (most common)
2. Bribes
3. Theft/ burglary
4. Internal corruption
5. Brutality

Question 5

What are the processes of becoming corrupt?

Answer 5

Begin with gratuities, shifts from reactive to proactive (‘slippery slope’)

Question 6

What are the levels of corruption? (3)

Answer 6

1. Rotten apples and rotten pockets (isolated individual)
2. Pervasive unorganised corruption (more widespread)
3. Pervasive organised corruption (internally networked)

Question 7

What is the prevalence of corruption in the UK?

Answer 7

Between 0.5 and 1% of police staff are potentially corrupt

Question 8

What are the different explanations for corruption? (5)

Answer 8

1. Individual level
2. Socio-structural (lack of consensus in law)
3. Nature of police work (low visibility, lack of supervision)
4. Police subculture (cultural themes: solidarity, isolation)
5. Police organisation (poor leadership, emphasis on performance at any cost)

Question 9

What are the internal strategies of control? (2)

Answer 9

1. Policies
   - Standards of behaviour, consistency in police operations
2. Training, Supervision and Discipline

Question 10

What are the external strategies of control? (4)

Answer 10

1. Specialist investigations (SOCA 10, Operation Sacristy)
2. Criminal Prosecution (rare)
3. Mobilising public opinion
4. Citizen oversight (PCCs: citizen presence)