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Police corruption has been an ongoing and unsolved problem for decades, negatively impacting public confidence in law enforcement. Police misconduct can involve bribery, abuse of authority, misuse of funds or resources, theft of property or services, brutality, harassment and unjustified arrest or imprisonment. As such, it is important that steps are taken to control and reduce police corruption. There are a number of measures which can be implemented to this end.

Internal Monitoring: Establishing internal monitoring processes within the police force is one effective way to control and reduce police corruption. This involves implementing procedures that enable officers to report on any suspicious activity they have observed or experienced themselves without fear of retribution from their superiors or colleagues. Internal monitoring also allows for supervisors to regularly check department records in order to ensure proper procedure is being followed throughout all areas of operations. Procedures should also be put in place which allow staff members who have been accused of misconduct to voice their side without fear of punishment if they had done nothing wrong.(Hooper et al., 2007).

External Oversight: External oversight provides another measure towards controlling and reducing police corruption by allowing citizens outside the law enforcement agency (often with specialised skills) access into the workings and decisions being made within the organisation (Natarajan et al., 2019). This type of oversight helps improve accountability within organisations as those who oversee them become more aware about what goes on internally due to increased transparency levels . External oversight also serves as a valuable source for identifying potential issues before they occur thus leading to preventative action instead post-incident damage control(Chappell & Moore , 2016).

Independent Investigations: Another effective strategy for controlling police corruption is through independent investigations conducted by external bodies such as ombudsmen offices (Nelson et al., 2017). Ombudsmen offices provide an avenue where complaints against law enforcement personnel can be formally filed so they can be properly investigated without bias from either party involved while helping maintain public confidence in the justice system(Bristol City Council, 2009). By providing external parties direct access into investigating alleged misconduct it ensures that those responsible are held accountable while simultaneously preventing further incidents from occurring due the increase in transparency throughout proceedings.(Schneider & Turk , 2002)

Training Programs: Training programs designed specifically around ethical practices should also form part of any plan aimed at controlling and reducing police corruption(Tasmania Police Service , 2017). These types training sessions provide officers with essential tools needed for dealing with difficult situations ethicallyand responsibly; emphasizing how important trust between membersof a communityand its law enforcementserviceis (Kearon & Wallerstein , 2004). Additionally these programs help instill values such as respect forthesafetyand rights oftargetswhile encouraging open dialogue betweenrank-and-filepolice officersas well astheir seniorstaffmembers–somethingwhichhasbeen identifiedby various studiesashelping reducetheopportunitiesforcorruptiontooccurinanorganisation ().

Increased Supervision/Accountability: It may also be beneficial for organisations considering implementing measures designed at controlling policecorruptiontoincreaseboththeirlevelsofsupervisionandsubsequentaccountabilitymechanismsintoplace(Ombudsman Western Australia 2018 ). Doing this enables management stafftobetter monitorwhatofficersare doing whenontheirown duty whilealsoencouraginga cultureofresponsibilityamongsttheirofficers;knowingthatiftheyconductunethicalpracticestherisksinvolvedoutweighanybenefitstheymayreceivefromtheactitself({Kuijer }2017 ). In additiontothiseffectivemanagementstrategiesmustbeconsistently appliedsothatexpectationsregardingacceptablebehaviourareclearlydefinedwhichwillhelpensuremisconceptionsor misinterpretationsoftherequiredstandardareavoided({Perrin}2020 ). Finallywhilesupervisionmayhelpreducecertainformsofmisconductsuchasshadydealswithcriminalgangsorcriminalactivitiesinvolvementinorganizedcrimesuchmeasureswillonlyhavelimitedeffectinsomecaseswhereastightercontrolswillneedtobeinstatedtomitigatethismoreseriousformsofcorruption().

Transparency Measures: To complement existing supervision mechanisms organisations must invest time into developing processes that make information regarding departmental activities available publicly (Ganguly 2020 ) . This could include releasing regular reports detailing arrests incidences involving use offorceetceterawhichwouldallowcitizensaccesstotheserecordsandsupporttheworkbeingdonebylawenforcementpersonnelintheircommunity {Smith }2016 ). Becomingmoretransparentinthissenseenhancespublicconfidenceinaserviceandalsoprovidesasuitableleveloversightofthedepartment’sactionswithoutnecessarilyimposingunduerestrictionsuponpersonnels’duties{United Nations Office on Drugs&Crime}2014 ). Furthermorehavingaconsistentpatternforreportingouractivitiesencouragesgreatersonlinesecuritycompliancepromotingbestpracticesratherthanindividualinterpretationsthatformpartoftheproblem{Spence }2019 ). Finallypublishingdataalsogivesotherscertainlevelcontroloverthosewhoaretaskedwithprotectingthemprovidingvaluablefeedbacktopolicymakersallowingforthemtomakeadjustmentsbasedondemographicschangesetc{Morrow }2018 ) .

Technology Integration : Introducing technology solutionsinto policingsystemscanhelpreducetheimpactcorruptofficershavewithinanorganisationthroughautomatingmanyprocesses {Washington State Patrol}2011 ) . Forexamplebodyworncamerascapturingevidenceorpalmpadsscanningfingerprintswouldeliminatemanyopportunitiesforembezzlementandbriberywhileeliminating manualerrorsthreatenaccuracywhencarryingoutdutiestogetherwithreducingcontroltakenplacebysuperiorswhoapprovedpaperrecordsbeforeanyactionwastaken{Rittgerott }2015() . Ithasmadelocatingpotentialabuseortsuspicious behaviour fasterandrelyingonsmarttechnologytocarryouthardinvestigationworkinsteadoffootpatrolscanalsoleadtoimprovementintermsofreportingefficiencytherebypreventingerrorsfromoccurringintheroutineprocedurescarriedoutdaytoday {Cook et al.}2013)).

Anti-Corruption Unit : Establishing anti-corruption units within policing agencies has proven itself highly successful when used correctly – particularly when combined with other strategies discussed above ({Metro Nashville Police Department}, 2015}.Anti-corruption unitsoftenincludeinternalauditorstakeschosenfromoutsidetheagencywhohaveexperiencehandlingcomplaintsagainstlawenforcementofficerstoinvestigateeachcaseindependentlywithoutinfluencefromotherparties({CentreforInternationalStudies&Diplomacy }, 2021)}Theseunitsnotonlyserveassafeguardsagainstmisconductbutcanalsopromotereportingeffortsonlywhenvalidconcernsexist({Ontario Provincial Police},2009}}Investigationresultsgivenbytheseunitsshouldremainconfidentialunlessspecificcircumstancesdemandotherwise;thishelpsestablishtrustbetweenthepublicatlargeandalocalpoliceforcewhileensuringallconcernedfeelcomfortablereportingsuspicioustoactivityexternalbodies {{Hancock County Sheriff’s Office |2021}}}. Similarlyanti – CorruptionUnits shouldbeanintegralpartofapolicemissionstatementmakingthoseworkingwithinorganisationsawareoftheimportancewhentacklingissuesrelatedtocorruption{{Auckland District Law Society| 2021}}

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