ABSTRACT
Crime, deviance, and unethical conduct can be found in almost every occupation and profession. Just open a newspaper, turn on the television, or listen to the radio and you will be exposed to abundant accounts of misdeeds by political leaders, government regulators, members of the clergy, people in business, and even college professors. Police are not unique in this sense, and it is safe to conclude that virtually every United States law enforcement agency has witnessed some form of unethical conduct, corruption, or scandal (Bracey, 1989; Kappeler, Sluder, & Alpert, 1998; Punch, 2009; Sherman, 1974). It is equally important to recognize that many police officers are honest, hardworking people, as are many doctors, stockbrokers, and college professors. Many police officers would never consider taking money in exchange for not enforcing the law or intentionally misusing their legal authority to use force. These same police officers, however, might not think twice about accepting a free cup of coffee, using deception during a criminal investigation, or even falsifying a police report to help ensure that a “dangerous” criminal is taken off the street.
