NCJ Number
185592
Date Published
2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Although crime in New York City has declined significantly over the past 5 years, corruption scandals still occur in the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
Abstract
During the early years of the NYPD, corruption occurred in the form of payoffs to become police officers or to get promotions within the department. Over the years, organized crime has also had an influence, with gambling and drug money affecting the judgment of police officers. In response to a 1992 scandal in which police officers used their knowledge and experience to steal money and drugs from drug dealers, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) was established in 1993. The IAB receives about 22,000 calls a year, but only about 1,500 calls become corruption cases. Of the 1,500 corruption investigations, about one-third involve drugs, either police officers using drugs, selling drugs, associating with drug dealers, or protecting drug dealers. Drug testing procedures have been implemented to deal with drug-related corruption involving police officers. There are three types of testing--entry level, random, and for cause. The IAB also tests approximately 1,000 police officers a year in terms of their ability to perform their duties properly. This testing involves the assessment of procedural, supervisory, and criminal failures to perform duties as expected. In addition, the IAB has developed the EDIT (Enforcement, Debriefing, Intelligence, Testing) program under which enforcement teams are sent out to arrest police officers involved in criminal activities. Goals of the NYPD are to stop corruption within the department and to minimize scandals that periodically occur.