Abstract
In exploring the contours of the code of silence among South African police officers, our 2005 survey of 379 police officers from seven provinces found that a substantial proportion of respondents were keen to protect various forms of police corruption. Between July 2010 and August 2011 we engaged in the second sweep of the survey, encompassing 771 police officers (commissioned and non-commissioned) from nine South African provinces. Our results provide further evidence of the presence of the code of silence covering various forms of police misconduct. At least one quarter of the respondents would protect a fellow officer who verbally abused citizens, covered up police driving under the influence (DUI) accident, accepted gratuities, or failed to react to graffiti. At least one out of eight police officers showed willingness to cover up internal corruption, striking a prisoner, a kickback, a false report on drug possession, and protection of a hate crime. The results further indicate that the respondents’ willingness to adhere to the code of silence is directly related to their estimates of whether other police officers in their agency would protect such behaviour with silence, as well as to their estimates of the seriousness of misconduct and expected discipline.
Highlights
The reluctance of police officers to report their colleagues' misconduct is an almost inevitable police organisational trait, developed through the fusion of solidarity, loyalty, and mutual trust among police officers in a paramilitary environment often characterised by extensive rules and an overt emphasis on readily quantifiable performance measures
The reticence of reporting is motivated as much by the fear that the department could investigate all cases of misconduct and discipline all police officers caught, as it is by the department's proven, draconian and exemplary punishments and the possible public outrage over the existence of widespread misconduct
Very few studies have attempted to measure the code of silence among the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Summary
In exploring the contours of the code of silence among South African police officers, our 2005 survey of 379 police officers from seven provinces found that a substantial proportion of respondents were keen to protect various forms of police corruption. Between July 2010 and August 2011 we engaged in the second sweep of the survey, encompassing 771 police officers (commissioned and non-commissioned) from nine South African provinces. At least one out of eight police officers showed willingness to cover up internal corruption, striking a prisoner, a kickback, a false report on drug possession, and protection of a hate crime. The results further indicate that the respondents’ willingness to adhere to the code of silence is directly related to their estimates of whether other police officers in their agency would protect such behaviour with silence, as well as to their estimates of the seriousness of misconduct and expected discipline
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
