Blue Wall of Silence

Q1. Discuss whether the police “code of secrecy” can ever be overcome so that acts of misconduct and corruption can be revealed and properly investigated. The so-called “blue wall of silence,” or the unspoken code of conduct that a police officer never informs on one of his brother and sister officers, is a product of an institutional culture that emphasizes interpersonal loyalty, sometimes at the expense of official police policy or even the law.

The code is a product of the close, personal relationship officers have with one another on a day-to-day basis. Officers are also frequently in contact with violent and unsympathetic offenders. This can add the stress officers suffer, as well as the fear of reprisals from suspects, and cause officers to be more sympathetic to a fellow officer who may have “snapped” and violated official policy than with the law.

The code of secrecy can be overcome by consistent enforcement of department policies that require officers to abide by the law. It is not enough to make an example of one or two high-profile cases of violence and corruption. Officers who do come forward to inform should be treated with respect. Any mistreatment of informants should likewise be vigorously punished. Officers should also have clear guidelines about how to behave with suspects, and there should be regular retraining on how to deal with high-pressure situations. Maintaining officer safety is important.

Another reason that officers may react violently is out of fear. Officers should have proper backup when going into dangerous situations. Ideally, avoiding situations where it is tempting to.