PLATFORM : Time’s Up for Cops’ Code of Silence
Excessive force has long been a problem in America. The Rodney King incident was a watershed event in the annals of police history. As a result of that incident, police officers and police commissioners and the general public are more conscious about the issue of the use of excessive force by police.
Police officers often think that they have to depend on other officers for survival. There is a reluctance to do something that will set them apart from the fraternity. Police culture is unlike that of other professions; it has created the code of silence.
The use of excessive force is not only against the rules in any police department--it’s against the law. When officers don’t report excessive force, they have violated a sacred oath.
I do believe police officers are going to be more cognizant of their responsibilities. There will be changes, because police administrators will be much more aggressive in dealing with police officers who knew a law was violated by another officer but didn’t take action, such as the recent (fatal beating) case in Detroit.
More officers will realize that their careers will be in jeopardy if they withhold information. Consequently, I do see an assault on the code of silence.
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