Police Corruption and Brutality

By courtneyrose0731

  • The Wickersham Commission

    The Wickersham Commission was created to investigate Prohibition crimes, the rise of organized and juvenile crimes, and poor police-community relations. Specifically, it investigated the use of the third degree in which officers inflict pain to get a confession. This was the first national investigation into police misconduct.

  • The Kerner Commission

    Formed by President Lyndon Johnson as a result of an increased number of complaints against police, the Kerner Commission focused on racial injustice and poor internal review procedures. The Commission suggested that more effective methods of police accountability should be used, more minorities should be recruited/promoted, and community policing should be implemented.

  • The Knapp Commission

    The Knapp Commission was formed when an NYPD officer testified against other officers and revealed a great deal of corruption within the department. The Commission reported that the corruption occurred in all levels of the department and called for the criminal prosecution of corrupt officers.

  • Tennessee v. Garner

    This case governs the use of deadly force in a situation where an individual is fleeing police. Prior to this case, it was acceptable to use deadly force if a suspect was fleeing. However, after an incident in Tennessee where officers started out responding to a call about a prowler and ended up shooting and killing a 15-year-old boy who was fleeing police, the Court ruled that deadly force cannot be used if there is no immediate danger to the officer or the public.

  • Graham v. Connor

    The US Supreme Court ruled that "reasonableness" could not be defined in specific terms and must be reviewed on a case by case basis.

  • The Christoper Commission

    The Commission was formed after the LAPD beating of Rodney King and found racism and bias within the department. It also noted that officers were not reprimanded about the use of excessive force. The Commission recommended that changes be made in structure, recruitment, and accountability.

  • The Mollen Commission

    After NYPD officers were arrested on drug charges, the Mollen Commission was formed to again investigate corruption within the department. The crimes were reportedly more serious than those found in the Knapp Commission, including robbery, drug trafficking, and falsifying records. The Commission recommended that external oversight be used.rather than internal alone.

  • Abner Louima

    Abenr Louima was a Haitian immigrant who states that officers in the NYPD took him custody after he allegedly punched one of the officers. An officer sodomized him with a toilet plunger handle in a precinct bathroom. This caused injuries to Louima that required hospitalization for weeks. The officer claimed that Louima got these injuries from a homosexual encounter, however he later plead guilty to his charges.

  • LAPD's Rampart Division

    The division was known as the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH). They were involved in criminal activity, most notably actively attacking known gang members, falsely accusing individuals of crime, and planting drugs on suspects. These acts were rewarded by leaders in the department. The crime spree occurred between March 1997 and August 1998.