This is what happens to some when they choose to stand up and report internal corruption within law enforcement.
Frank Serpico, Police Officer Played by Al Pacino, Looks Back - NYTimes.com
This blog was created solely for my students to generate intellectual dialogue with their classmates. Reach one and teach one. Peace.
11 comments:
D.J. 8791
This article speaks on a very important issue the current Justice system is dealing with... particularly the law enforcers and their corrupted behavior. It is very unfortunate that Mr. Serpico had to go through what he did because of such corruption and injustice. Police officers, detectives, etc... are not trusted nor respected by civilians due to their know corrupted behavior. It is going to be very hard to fix such an issue as majority of the population these days are working for the money, not for the love of what they do. Therefore, if they see an opportunity to gain more, they will most definitely go for it. This is going to be a very hard task to fight as, for some departments it's almost tradition, or culture for officers to be corrupted. Especially with the economy, i'm afraid alot of 'good cops' are going to suffer just like Mr. Serpico.
Being a whistle blower is not an easy job - sometimes it's best to wait for the right time and place to do such (eg. upon retirement) - by then you would have had been advanced to a very high rank, where your voice would hold alot more power. However, if you blow the whistle to early... you're basically blowing your chances of promotion etc.. and at that point - no one outside that department would even know what u were trying to go against.
I think Mr. Serpico is a hero, for both aspiring and non aspiring cops. He is definitely someone to look up to, learn from his experience so you may better yours.
In our society you are taught to be honest and law abiding, however its the very law not is not honest and law abiding. It sad for the honest ones the ridicul that they encounter when trying to be honest and law abiding. This is evident everyday. To tell or to snitch is still a life threatning situation.
Elizabeth Segarra
It is a very sad thing that there are law abiding citizens that do their best to respect the law but then when there is this kind of corruption from with in civilians no longer trust the law to protect them as they should......VAF2053
Mr. Serpico dressed-up in many disguises to bring criminals to justice. But, Underneath all of his make- up and disguises was a true heroic police officer. Indeed, Mr. serpico took an oath that he stand true until this day but when he blew the whistle on his own department Mr. serpico was labeled as an outcast and was subsequently abandoned by his own department. He had and still is harboring so much pain and resentment he endured as a police officer that he is living in his own secluded world. There is a correlation between The blue wall of silence and street justice. They both take revenge on the one's who stitch He/she out.SJS-5514
We cannot eliminate that, as long as homan has the control of law on the earth as long as the corruption will grow up. J.E 9722
Mr Serpico is a real cop.I would want to be one day.One should never be afraid when heart is in the right place of justice.Madmax
There is always someone to stand up against anything wrong against nature. But as being like that, be ready for the consequences because there are more in the wrong side.I you are not with them that means you are against them.(J.E 9722).
This police officer is definitely heroic,and hope that more officers like him will surface.
This officer is very courageous!..he deserves this title. Of course the law enforcement will always cover up scandals because once the media knows they blow it out of proportion. You think these supervisors want to hear about these scandals. Im sure they don't sleep at night because in the end it falls on them. Corruption should be handled privately but not swept under the rug. SJC 1687
this story is sad. A guy who acted with integrity, honor, self respect. a true professional police officer and until this day he doesn't get enough credit. his uniform cant be displayed at he museum? The NYPD is still trying to hide their past and present. They still want to show that they are a good department. In reality this department hasn't learned from their past and definately don't respect it. Who wants an honest cop in a police museum anyway right?
S.d. 4954
I'd actually watched this movie in the class for the first time. There was just as much corruption back then as it is now. It's hard being a copy and sometimes you have to do what you have to do even if that means being a whistle blower.
Arbubaker-1221
CJI-102
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