Police Corruption Research Articles

Harm Reduction Without Supportive Policing: Experiences of Drug Users in Nepal

This study explored the impact of drug criminalization and policing on harm reduction efforts in Nepal. In contexts marked by widespread corruption, drug criminalization often exacerbates the mistreatment by law enforcement of people who use drugs (PWUD), creating substantial barriers to their accessing harm reduction services. Utilizing a constructivist framework and a modified grounded theory approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 PWUD to examine their experiences with drug use, interactions with police, and the consequent effects on harm reduction efforts. Three key themes emerged: the exploitation of PWUD as a significant source of income for corrupt police officers, the human rights of PWUD being violated by police, and police behaviors frequently contradicting harm reduction principles and practices. The findings of the study demonstrate how corrupt policing undermines harm reduction initiatives in Nepal. Policy reforms are urgently needed to equip law enforcement with harm reduction knowledge and skills, thus enabling PWUD to access essential services.

Police officers’ assessments of factors that contribute to police corruption in Ghana

PurposePolice corruption – the use or misuse of entrusted power for personal, institutional or third-party advantage – is widespread in emerging economies. Encounters with justice officials in developing nations often involve the payment of bribes, which undermines justice delivery and impedes socioeconomic development. Efforts to tackle or address corruption are usually complex due to the secretive nature of corruption, its perceived benefit to both victims and perpetrators and a lack of consensus on the causes. This article investigates the causes of police corruption from the viewpoint of Ghanaian police officers.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on data from a survey of police officers across three regions in Ghana. Descriptive, correlational and linear regression analyses are used to address the issues.FindingsThe results show that factors contributing to police corruption are classified into financial, cultural, institutional and oversight/guidance. We found that police officers’ consideration of a factor as a cause of police corruption is influenced by their perceptions of other factors as causes of corruption.Practical implicationsThe results show that corruption causes should not be tackled in isolation as they depend on each other. This suggests that a holistic approach needs to be taken when developing strategies to address the causes of police corruption.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the debate on the causes of police corruption from an African perspective, where there is little quantitative research exploring the causes of police corruption. Control variables do not impact officers’ perceptions of causes of corruption, which contradicts previous studies and contributes to the debate, literature and theory development.

Police specialism in England and Wales: an exploratory review

Purpose There is a surprising lack of underpinning evidence relating to how police specialism is defined, conceived and operationalised nationally. This study aims to shed light on the development of specialism, adding insights towards academic and police knowledge on the topic. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research was conducted to draw evidence on police specialism in England and Wales according to publications in the literature and insights from high-ranking police officers. A total of 57 documents and 10 officers’ accounts were thematically analysed. Five main themes have been identified, relating to the development, impact and barriers of specialist units, knowledge and training. Findings Socio-cultural, policy-based and historical information that contributed to the development of specialism in its contemporary form were discussed. The conceptual triggers for the institution of most specialist units were disasters and a need for modernisation. In both cases, police forces were faced with the inability to keep up with emerging threats and new criminal techniques. Some exceptions apply, with specialisms of sex offences still being underdeveloped and underfunded compared to other crimes. Overall, although specialism has the potential to positively impact police efficacy, the specialist knowledge of officers working within specialist units is frequently inferred – rather than measured. Practical implications Organisational support and the quality of training impact specialism effectiveness. The substantial lack of resources allocated to specialism means that training for some crime types is either unavailable or difficult to complete. Police officers fear that specialism might lead to elitism and corrupt police practices. There is no evidence, however, that elitist beliefs are the direct result of specialism or rather additional co-occurring organisational, cultural and force-specific or role-dependant factors. Police officers’ wellbeing and specialist capacity take a significant toll. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first modern study of its kind that investigated how police specialism is conceived, instituted and prioritised in England and Wales.

Judicial Inefficacies and Legal Inconsistencies in Addressing Honour Killings: A Human Rights Analysis of Pakistan's Legal Framework

In Pakistan, honor killings are tied to consequences, such as property disputes and other difficulties that occur after the death of the victim, as well as to shame and cultural practices. The annual growth in the honour killing justification can be traced to the faulty operation of the state's organs. The media manages to report on the crimes despite the fact that tribal councils are frequently more powerful than courts in Pakistan, where the number of recorded cases is exceptionally low because they typically involve the victim's own family. We undertook the research study to enhance awareness of honour crimes and educate the public, as well as to examine the causes of judicial injustice, the corrupt role of law enforcement, and defective legislation. We have also established that Islam condemns honour killing. Data was acquired with a supplementary technique. The issue arose about the judicial interpretation of a contentious plea, flawed legislation, human rights violations, and obligations, both national and international, notwithstanding notable amendments to criminal law post-2004. Tribal councils currently possess the authority to conduct business autonomously, owing to the comprehensive resolution of legislation, judicial interpretation, and police corruption that contributed to these issues. The flawed legislation highlighted the judges' empathy, as demonstrated by established precedents in their interpretation of provocation grounds that offenders exploit to obtain reduced sentences for egregious offences.

POLICE CORRUPTION AND COST OF GOODS AND TRANSPORTATION IN DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE

The study examined the influence of police corruption on the cost of goods and transportation in Nigeria, using Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State as a case study. The study set out to examine the factors that are responsible for police corruption; investigate the implications of police corruption on the cost of transportation and goods and suggest ways of curbing police corruption in Kogi State. The study employed descriptive research design. The population for the study comprises all the 351,700 resident of Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, North central Nigeria. Two hundred and fifty-three (253) respondents were selected for the study using the convenience sampling technique. A questionnaire tagged: “Police Corruption and Cost of Goods and Transportation Questionnaire (PCCGTQ)(r= 88) was the main instrument used for the study. Data was analysed using descriptive analysis. The findings show that factors such as greediness on the part of the police force, and the Nigerian government’s failure to fight corruption using modern technology are one of the major causes of police corruption in Kogi State; Police corruption has effects on the price of goods and the cost of transportation and corruption can be reduced by using technological devices such as drones and satellites to monitor police activities on our roads and to discipline corrupt police officers in the presence of their family. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the government encourage the police force by making the condition of service attractive and the police authority should discipline officers that are involved in corruption in the presence of their families, as well as prosecute any citizen who offers a bribe to the police.

The scenes of police corruption

The scenes of police corruption

University students’ accounts of police use of force: implications for trust in the police

ABSTRACT This empirical research explores the effect of police use of excessive force on university students’ trust in the police. Although the use of force by the police has continued to resonate in academic discourse, particularly from developed Western societies, the challenge is that there is a dearth of empirical research that precisely measures police use of excessive force among university students and how it shapes their trust in the police. The few existing studies were drawn from the general population survey, and they showed that the police in most African transitional societies tend to misuse their powers and are typically unaccountable to the public. From a survey data of participants delineated to a large public university in South Africa, this study specifically assessed the effect of direct experience of police abuse, vicarious experience of police abuse, experience of police corruption, and predatory policing on university students’ trust in the police. Findings confirmed, among others, that police use of excessive force (direct and vicarious experience of police abuse and predatory policing) significantly negatively affects students’ trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS). The implications of the findings for effective policing in the country are discussed.

An Exploration of Police Corruption at Durban Harbour Port of Entry in South Africa

This study delves into the pervasive issue of police corruption within a critical context of the Durban Harbour port of entry in South Africa. Police corruption poses a significant challenge to the integrity of law enforcement functioning of ports. This research highlights the role of inadequate training, resource constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and lack of oversight as a significant contributing factor. It emphasises the necessity of enhancing organisational accountability, improving training programmes, and fostering a culture of ethical conduct to mitigate corruption. Lastly, this article recommends that addressing police corruption at the Durban Harbour port of entry demands a holistic and interdisciplinary approach involving law enforcement agencies, government bodies, civil society, and the private sector. The insights gained from this investigation can inform targeted interventions and policy reforms to fortify the integrity of law enforcement and enhance the security and efficiency of harbour port operations.

Russians at the Gates

Abstract This article analyzes two recent streaming series—the third season of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (Prime, USA, 2022) and the limited series Treason (Netflix, UK, 2022)—as aspects of “Cold War II,” the increasingly common term for the resurgence of anti-Russian attitudes and stereotypes in Anglophone cinema and television that has been apparent since 2010. These two series reflect a shared fear of Russians and offer interesting and illuminating points of comparison, especially regarding their definitions of the threat (internal or external), the battleground (at home or abroad), and strategies for confronting the enemy (shoot ’em up or run and hide). At the same time, these series reflect different national concerns, with Jack Ryan 3 as one of many US-produced spy thrillers that trumpet aggressive, offensive action in a way that deflects attention from the country's serious divisions and protracted domestic crises. Treason, on the other hand, engages with British concerns over corruption in the UK's police and security services. Finally, the series’ differing treatments of the relationship of the not-so-distant past to present dangers (real and perceived) is also noteworthy, if puzzling; the demise of the Soviet Union is central to the crisis in Jack Ryan 3 but only glancingly mentioned in Treason.

Rural–Urban Dynamics of Police Corruption: Views of Ghanaian Police Officers

Rural–Urban Dynamics of Police Corruption: Views of Ghanaian Police Officers

The Determinants of Oromia police crime prevention in selected zones of the Oromia Regional state

ThestudyaimedtoexplorethefactorsinfluencingOromiapolicecrimepreventioninspecific zones of the Oromia regional state. It hypothesized that police logistics, motivation, perception, corruption, and training and development significantly impact crime prevention performance. The research used a quantitative approach and an explanatory design by collecting primary data from selected zones of the Oromia regional state through survey questionnaires.388questionnairesweredistributedtorespondents,and372 were completed. The data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation, and the dependent variable was projected using multi linear regression beta coefficients for all independent variables. The study reveals that most respondents in the selected zones of Oromia regional state police disagree with the current police logistics, stating they lack infrastructure, necessary equipment, and technology for effective crime prevention. They also believe basic human needs like home, food, uniforms, and a salary are insufficient. Public cooperation, perceptions of the police, and commitment to crime prevention are moderate, while police corruption and training practices are moderate. The study suggests that if these factors continue, crimeprevention performance could be hazardous and potentiallyincrease societal compliance toward safety and good governance. The government should raise financing for police equipment, develop motivational strategies, improve loyalty, and establish anti-corruption organizations. Off-the-job training for crime prevention heads should be provided twice a year. Keywords: crime prevention, corruption, motivation, perception, police logistics, training, and development

What Makes a Terrorist Tick in Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building?

Abstract This article provides a critical reading of Alaa Al Aswany’s novel The Yacoubian Building (2002), evoking important questions about the nature of terrorism in Egypt and how young men are transformed into religious fanatics. While certainly not excusing terrorists’ violent acts, we try to use the novel as a guide to understand what makes a terrorist tick. The novel invites us to witness the fall into the abyss of terror of a young man who dreams of being a policeman. The novel shows that while Taha struggles to change his fate, he faces marginalisation, police corruption, oppression and torture, which finally set him on the path to violence. The paper thus uses the novel as a focal point to broaden our understanding of who a terrorist figure is. Furthermore, we are interested in the literary representations of terrorism and why this novelist chooses terrorism as a main structuring element. By offering a qualitative, different understanding of the fundamental aspects of terrorism, we try to reveal that while it is the terrorist’s finger that pulls the trigger, there is a disorienting history of social, political and economic circumstances behind each bullet. The paper concludes that Al Aswany neither demonises nor offers an apology for extremists. He simply presents them as humans so that we can understand what they are angry about.

스웨덴 경찰의 부패통제 시스템에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to examine the feature and implication of the control system of sweden police. The characteristic of the Swedish police's corruption control system is the balance between internal and external control devices. To summarize, first, A committee-centered decision-making structure prevents centralization of authority. Second, the Special Investigation Department of the National Police Agency maintains its fairness by appointing the head of the Swedish Prime Minister, ensuring independence of work, and exercising special authority to investigate corruption in specific public officials, including police officials. Third, Separate Public Prosecution Office and the National Anti-Corruption Unit are placed directly under the Minister of Justice and have the authority to investigate and prosecute corruption cases of specific public officials, including police officials. In particular, Separate Public Prosecution Office independently exercises the authority to investigate the legitimacy of police use of weapons. Fourth, prevent corruption of public funds by reviewing in advance the appropriateness of police budget use. Fifth, all decision-making processes related to police work and the exercise of police power are disclosed to the public. Sixth. It has a recruitment structure that hires qualified people with the character and ethics of a police officer. In addition, efforts are made to exclude corruption cartels and a culture of silence in police organizations by providing strong identity protection for whistle blowers.

The Clandestine Hands of the State: Dissecting Police Collusion in the Drug Trade

Abstract Police collusion with drug market organizations is widespread around the world, but the nature of this collaboration remains poorly understood. This article draws on a unique data source to dissect the inner workings of police collusion: transcripts of wiretapped conversations, embedded in thousands of pages of court cases in which state agents have been prosecuted for collaborating with drug market groups. We catalogue and analyze the wide range of social interactions that constitute police collaboration with drug market groups and show that those interactions are often embedded in trust networks constituted by residential, professional, friendship, and kinship ties. Our findings signal the importance of reciprocal social ties surrounding police corruption and cast light on what we refer to as the clandestine hands of the state.

Police Corruption in the Transport Corridors and Its Implications on Regional Trade Integration in West and East Africa

This study examines the issue of police corruption within transport corridors in West and East Africa and its implications for regional trade integration. As African nations strive for economic cooperation through initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), systemic corruption undermines these efforts, leading to trade and economic development inefficiencies. The research highlights the entrenched nature of corruption in law enforcement, characterised by bribery and extortion, which contribute to increased transportation costs and hinder the movement of people, goods and services. The analysis considers the broader impacts of corruption on governance, accountability, and the overall economic climate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Investigating the challenges truck drivers face due to illegal checkpoints and bureaucratic obstacles emphasises the need for well-established policy reforms and institutional mechanisms to combat police corruption. In addition, addressing police corruption is important for achieving successful regional integration and enhancing intra-African trade.

The Phlippine National Police Behind Controversies

The Philippine National Police is part of the tri-bureaus created under the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which are mandated to enforce the law, prevent crimes, maintain peace, and ensure public safety. This study aims to investigate the different controversies faced by the Philippine National Police, their effect on the participants’ work, and how they handle these kinds of controversies. This study used a case study of descriptive-qualitative research to investigate the Philippine National Police (PNP) behind controversies conducted at Jones, Isabela, particularly at Jones Police Station. The eight (8) participants in the study were selected through purposive sampling. This study used an unstructured interview to gather the necessary data. The study utilized thematic analysis in interpreting the data following the six (6) steps by Braun and Clarke. The study revealed that the different controversies faced by the Philippine National Police are involvement in illegal drugs, police corruption, abuse of power, and stereotyping, which affect their work as police officers. Although it is painful for them to hear those statements, they remain steadfast and stand to face the allegations thrown by the community, as reflected on the following themes; positive, practice self-disciple, and maintain professionalism. Furthermore, programs or activities to heighten the morale of the police officers and enhance the police community relations program were suggested and recommended.

Drivers’ Experiences of Traffic Police Corruption and Their Compliance with Traffic Laws in Lahore City

This paper examines drivers’ perceived traffic police corruption and its impact on their compliance with traffic laws in the capital city of province Punjab i.e. Lahore. For this purpose quantitative methodology was employed and cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 driver participants recruited through simple random sampling. Questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection and regression analysis was done in order to assess the impact of independent variables on dependent variable. Results show that personal and vicarious corruption experiences decreased the drivers’ likelihood to comply with traffic laws. Moreover, it was found that the drivers’ personal and vicarious corruption experiences in Lahore city were less that still affect their level of compliance with traffic laws. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Citizens’ Perspective on the Influence of Police Reforms on Post-Conflict Corruption Management in Migori County, Kenya

Re-emergence of conflict instigated by post-conflict police corruption is a real global concern. Contemplating this risk, most peace deals incorporate anti-corruption police reforms. Police reforms were adopted in Kenya following the 2007/8 post-election violence, in which high levels of police corruption were featured as one of the grievances that triggered the violence. However, despite more than a decade of reforms, positive peace is still elusive. International and national actors have voiced concerns over the fear of a repeat of the 2007/08 violence due to police impunity. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the effect of police reforms on post-conflict police corruption management in Migori County. The study was informed by the organizational theory of police corruption. A sequential exploratory design was used. The study area was Suna East Subcounty of Migori County. The total study population was 427 participants, comprising 398 household heads, 6 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) participants representing common victims of police corruption, and 23 key informants drawn from Boda Boda and Matatu operators, business owners, MYWO, youth, media, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYWO), youth, media, Faith-Based Organizations (FBO), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), magistrates, prosecutors, Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Internal Affairs Unit (IAU), Officer Commanding Station (OCS), Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), and police, Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU), and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) commanders. Results show that police reforms (IAU, salary increment strategy, recruitment, training, IPOA, and vehicle leasing program) have had no effect at all on the management of police corruption in Migori County. The study concludes that citizens perceive that the influence of police reforms on post-conflict police corruption management has been insignificant in Migori County. The study recommends the government should: restructure, reengineer, and remodel NPS, IAU, IPOA, and EACC to enhance their efficiency in police corruption management.

Protection or predation? Examining COVID-19 policing and the nuances of police corruption in Nigeria

ABSTRACT The bulk of scholarship on police intervention in enforcing COVID-19 pandemic-imposed restrictions focuses on police misconduct, securitisation, human rights, police preparedness, and legitimacy, but empirical research on police corruption during the restriction in Nigeria is sparse despite reports of pervasive police extortion and bribery. Thus, this study fills the academic gap by examining the dynamics of police predation and corruption during the enforcement in Nigeria. With interview data, I uniquely examined the intervention from the purview of predatory policing – an aspect of policing that is understudied in the context of COVID-19 policing despite its relevance in contemporary discourse on social control. Evidence indicates that, as COVID-19 policing characterised predation in Nigeria, the embedded problems of police corruption revolve around unresolved police institutional challenges and police-public connivance that results from moral decadence, thereby portending gloomy implications for law enforcement and society. Therefore, advancing and implementing police reforms, addressing moral corruption, and resolving widespread socioeconomic problems are very critical in the effective policing and containment of future public health crises.

#EndSARS Protests and the Search for Social Justice in Nigeria: Examining Activist Discourses on Police Brutality, Politics and Human Security

Abstract On October 3, 2020, members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (sars) of the Nigerian Police Force arrested a young man at Wetland Hotel, Ughelli in Delta State, and later shot and killed him, and threw him out of a moving police van. In addition to eye witnesses of what happened, the video of this incident was also trending on social media. Again, on October 5, another video went viral of sars officers’ killing a young musician popularly known as “Sleek,” in unjustifiable circumstances. This was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. What initially began as spontaneous peaceful protests soon turned bloody and by October 8, the protests had spread to almost all Nigerian cities demanding the disbandment of sars. This empirical study examines the operational structure of sars, the formation of the EndSARS movement and its first main protests in 2020 in the search for social justice. Methods in qualitative discourse analysis and multimodality, are used to analyze representational strategies in the protest discourse of the #EndSARS protesters. Other issues bordering on police brutality, injustice, corruption and state failure, which form the main narratives of the protests are analyzed.