NCJ Number
86903
Journal
Urban Life Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1982) Pages: 209-230
Date Published
1982
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The Amsterdam police faced a major corruption scandal during the mid-70's that has implications for the nature of Dutch police work and organization, the media's coverage of scandal, and public attitudes toward deviation.
Abstract
Unlike police corruption scandals in other countries, the Dutch police initiated the investigation themselves, and the press only caught on at a later stage. The scandal revealed the difficulty of investigating police deviance. Internal tension caused by police investigating fellow officers led to lies, falsification of evidence, intimidation of witnesses, and other improper practices. Without the press, it is doubtful if much information would have ever been brought to public attention. It is clear that police divisiveness (i.e., personal rivalries, interrank hostility, etc.) can exacerbate the internal and external investigations and fundamentally weaken attempts to control behavior. The police department has not fundamentally changed as a result of the publicity. Over 40 references are cited.