ABSTRACT
Concerns about rule-breaking within the police force have existed since the early days of the creation of an institutionalised force. Maurice Punch defines police corruption, or police deviance, as:
the abuse of authority, of the oath of office, of trust (of fellow officers, the police organisation and the public) and of the rights of colleagues, suspects and citizens. It involves the misuse of police power and authority, utilising organisational position and resources largely to avoid preventing crime, to encourage crime by others, to engage in crime, to combat crime by illegal means or simply to exercise power for illicit ends.
(2009: 30)