Police corruption and misconduct occurs in may ways. For most law abiding citizens it is not something they experience or see often, so it does not seem like as common as it is. The problem is that it is covered up by police officials and the media, and , until it happens to them, people trust that our justice system will prevail, if they are ever a victim. Then, if it ever does happen they find it is nearly impossible to fight, this is because a police officers word will almost always be held over any other citizens.
For most people, who only see corruption in movies, police misconduct appears to be a problem of the past. However, as you can see by the first picture to the right, taken at the “Occupy Oakland” protest in California in just 2011, or by just doing a quick search on Google, you will find hundreds of stories in which police officers are still misusing their powers or making fatal mistakes, on a regular basis. This problem is a very hard one to fight, not only for citizens who have been victimized but also for police officers who just want to stand up for what is right.
This is Frank Serpico, he is a former New York City police officer, and a rare example of a cop standing up against his peers involved in corruption. You may be aware of his story from the film, Serpico, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, made just two years after he left the police force, and it was set during his time with the NYPD. He (Frank Serpico) was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1936 where he spent much of his life.
Frank Serpico joined the NYPD when he was 23yrs old. He started out as a uniformed patrol officer but after 2 years on the force began working in the “plainclothes” division. As his career went on, Frank Serpico became unpopular among other officers, this was because he dressed like a “hippie,” he had longer hair, usually had on a beaded neckless and a large bushy beard. But what made Frank Serpico even more of an outcast, was that he was not taking bribes or participating in the any other corruption that was common in New York during the late 60’s. He was even threatened with a knife by another police officer at one time to take a bribe, so that he could not snitch on them. (Maas,) (Charlie, IASIP) In 1967 Frank Serpico brought forth evidence that his colleagues and many other police officers were participating in wide-spread systematic corruption. For several years Serpico spoke up about his colleagues taking money and evidence, only to be ignored by his supervisors. Finally, he he had a chance to tell the New York Times about these problems, and they were published in a story in 1970.
In a recent interview Frank Serpico expressed why it is so hard to stand up against corruption, in the interview he said, “That is what the system wants to do, it intimidates the good guys. That’s why it is so important for individuals to stand up and do the right thing.” Only after the story in the New York Times was published, did the Mayor at the time John V. Lindsay, appoint a committee, the Knapp Commission, to investigate the alleged corruption. (“Frank Serpico”) But what made Frank Serpico even more of an outcast, was that he was not taking bribes or participating in the any other corruption that was common in New York during the late 60’s. He was even threatened with a knife by another police officer at one time to take a bribe, so that he could not snitch on them. (Maas,) (Charlie, IASIP)
In 1967 Frank Serpico brought forth evidence that his colleagues and many other police officers were participating in wide-spread systematic corruption. For several years Serpico spoke up about his colleagues taking money and evidence, only to be ignored by his supervisors. Finally, he he had a chance to tell the New York Times about these problems, and they were published in a story in 1970.
In a recent interview Frank Serpico expressed why it is so hard to stand up against corruption, in the interview he said, “That is what the system wants to do, it intimidates the good guys..." "That’s why it is so important for individuals to stand up and do the right thing.” Only after the story in the New York Times was published, did the Mayor at the time John V. Lindsay, appoint a committee, the Knapp Commission, to investigate the alleged corruption. (“Frank Serpico”)
Frank Serpico remained on the force for another year, and In 1971, he was participating in a drug bust with several other cops. During the raid Frank Serpico attempted to coax one of the drug dealers to come out by pretending to want to purchase drugs When Frank Serpico was half-way through the door he saw a .22 caliber pistol aimed directly at his face He had called for the other police officers there for backup just before but even after the gun had gone off and he had been shot, his fellow officers did not come to his aid. Eventually he was finally taken to the hospital but it was clear that his colleagues held a grudge. (“Frank Serpico”)
After the corruption case Frank Serpico left the NYPD and moved to Switzerland where he got married, he has since moved back to upstate New York, where he is still living today. Frank Serpico has inspired and given courage to many police officers to stand up against misconduct they see, however, it is still hard for many. He has been called upon several times to provide documents to help other police officers testify against the corruption they see. As recently as August, this past year Frank Serpico opened his mail to find a subpoena to call him into another whistle bower case in an interview Frank Serpico said that he thought it was his Medal of Honor certificate that he was awarded and had been requesting for years. (Kilgannon)
Even today, it is still hard for the good guys to stand up for the right thing, and the problems of police misconduct and corruption are not being corrected. Serpico believes this is because, it is the departments top priority to avoid scandal, and as he stated in 2010, “An honest cop still can’t find a place to go and complain without fear of recrimination. The blue wall will always be there because the system supports it.”