Jammed Up ─ Bad Cops, Police Misconduct, and the New York City Police Department

Drugs, bribes, falsifying evidence, unjustified force and kickbacks:
there are many opportunities for cops to act like criminals. Jammed
Up is the definitive study of the nature and causes of police misconduct.
While police departments are notoriously protective of
their own—especially personnel and disciplinary information—Michael
White and Robert Kane gained unprecedented, complete
access to the confidential files of NYPD officers who committed
serious offenses, examining the cases of more than 1,500 NYPD
officers over a twenty year period that includes a fairly complete
cycle of scandal and reform, in the largest, most visible police department
in the United States. They explore both the factors that
predict officer misconduct, and the police department’s responses
to that misconduct, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding
the issues. The conclusions they draw are important
not just for what they can tell us about the NYPD but for how we
are to understand the very nature of police misconduct.
actual misconduct cases
?? An off-duty officer driving his private vehicle stops at a
convenience store on Long Island, after having just
worked a 10 hour shift in Brooklyn, to steal a six pack of
beer at gun point. Is this police misconduct?
?? A police officer is disciplined no less than six times in
three years for failing to comply with administrative standards
and is finally dismissed from employment for losing
his NYPD shield (badge). Is this police misconduct?
?? An officer was fired for abusing his sick time, but then
further investigation showed that the officer was found
not guilty in a criminal trial during which he was accused
of using his position as a police officer to protect drug
and prostitution enterprises. Which is the example of
police misconduct?