Corruption Law enforcement has existed since the beginning of policing. Corruption is a phenomenon that will never cease in the police sector for many different reasons. There are many types of corruption and different levels in which bribery is used. Although corruption will never end, there are many steps being taken to help prevent and reduce corruption in law enforcement. Policing goes back a long way in history. The word police “comes from the Greek polis and the word politeuein, which means to be a citizen who participates in the affairs of a city or state.” The earliest roots of policing date back to the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Although the roots of American policing go back to the way England did its policing there. When the first English settlers arrived in America, they brought with them the night watch system from England. It was in 1636 that the English helped the city of Boston establish the Night Watch. The Night Watch is a volunteer patrol supervised by a police officer. Night watch duties involve reporting drunk people and single women after dark. Then, in 1749, Philadelphia passed a law allowing watchmen in the city. The guards had a number of different tasks for which they were responsible, such as selecting and hiring the guards, and for which the guards were paid with taxpayer dollars. The guards also issued arrest warrants and carried out some investigative work. They would also resolve disputes with people and settle fights. Another task of the guards was also to recover the stolen items, find out who the thief was and take him to prison. Guards were not respected in the cities. There was a lot of corruption among the guards and guards. In 1800s America... middle of paper ...... y or jewelry Bribes – can happen in several ways Usually a police officer receives some sort of compensation (monetary) for not taking police action Not issuing a citation for money Perjuring testimony in order to change the outcome of the trial in favor of the accused for money Opportunistic theft – Occurs when the opportunity arises officer guarding a crime scene An officer robbing a deceased person An officer robbing a residence where he was sent due to a burglary robbing a drunk individualProtection from illegal activity – this type of corruption is probably the most harmfulIncludes activities such as Police officers enabling criminals to transport narcotics, maintain illegal gambling rings, prostitution, illegal alien smuggling and the like normally involve multiple officers for various shifts and vacation time