Theoretical definition of police corruption

Abstract

Corrupt behavior, as a typical form of abuse of authority, draws great attention of the scientific and professional community. The importance of scientific research on this phenomenon is great, especially if we bear in mind that this research contributes to the removal or remediation of the dangers and consequences that these behaviors create on individual and social levels. In this context the study of 'police corruption' has special importance because it contributes to spreading of knowledge about the phenomenon that is shrouded in secrecy. Due to the lack of precise indicators, the conclusions on this phenomenon are primarily based on the impressions created from personal experience or by the media presentation of the phenomenon. Personal experience can, however, represent the exception rather than the rule, while the media, burdened by sensationalism, and usually approach the problem superficially and selectively. In order to avoid passing the final judgments on the basis of flat-rate assessment, it is necessary to start analyzing the problem of police corruption by applying the appropriate methods, while observing the principles of scientific perspective. This, however, is not an easy task. Anyone who chooses corruption in the police as the subject of his research will, at the beginning, encounter the problem of how to define the phenomenon which he intends to research. It is known that the theoretical definition of the research subject is the first and infallible step towards the more objective indicators of the studied phenomenon. More specifically, a precise and unambiguous definition is the essential prerequisite of success of the research. Hence the origin of the author's desire to critically review the existing definitions of corruption in the police and to find a more appropriate determinations, which would represent an important support in defining the subject of some future research studies and a starting point for fixing the boundaries between corruption and similar phenomena in the police actions.

Koruptivno ponašanje, kao tipičan oblik zloupotrebe ovlašćenja, pobuđuje veliku pažnju naučne i stručne javnosti. Značaj naučnog istraživanja ovog fenomena je višestruk, posebno ukoliko imamo u vidu da se tim istraživanjem može doprineti otklanjanju ili saniranju višestrukih posledica koje ova ponašanja stvaraju na individualnom i društvenom nivou. Posmatrano u tom kontekstu proučavanje korupcije u policiji dobija naročit značaj, jer se u ovom slučaju koruptivno ponašaju pojedinici od kojih se zapravo očekuje da se suprostavljaju ovoj pojavi. Međutim, svako ko izabere koruptivno ponašanje policijskih službenika za predmet svog istraživanja već na samom početku će se susresti sa problemom kako da definiše pojavu koju namerava da istraži. Poznato je da teorijsko definisanje predmeta istraživanja predstavlja prvi i neizostavni korak na putu do što objektivnijih pokazatelja proučavane pojave. Tačnije, precizno i nedvosmisleno definisanje je ključni preduslov uspešnosti samog istraživanja. Otuda je i težnja autora ovoga rada da kritički preispita postojeće definicije korupcije u policiji i iznađe što prihvatljivije određenje koje bi predstavljalo bitan oslonac u definisanju predmeta istraživanja nekih budućih studija o korupciji u policiji.