Australian question. Do you find it strange that the police, who's stated aim is to uphold and apply the law,

Hi Ted! Good and important question.

Well, my understanding of how it works is that the police culture is a closed one where cops must know they can trust each other, because as a normal part of the job their lives can be at risk, and they have to be sure their mates will "watch their back" to protect them from armed criminals or violent drunks. [Imagine having that level of trust in your workmates! - I certainly can't.]

This then extends to protecting each other from discipline by their superior officers, and then to protecting each other from exposure as corrupt officers.

There is the moral grey area where various degrees of compulsion are used to make suspects confess to crimes, or to incriminate their friends. Cops know what other cops have done, and this is compromising information: if they tell their superiors about it, the other cops see them as "rats" and ostracise them. If they don't tell, they become part of the corruption.

Cops at the lower levels don't get paid a lot considering the dangers and unpleasantness of the job [imagine being bashed or spat on at work, or having to clean up the cells after a drunk has vomited and/or p*ssed everywhere!! ] and when they see the vast amounts of cash that drug dealers rake in, the temptation must be very strong to take some money, or to extort money from bent businesspeople.

Corrupt practices then become "normalised" and everyone feels guilty, even if they have done nothing wrong, because they haven't actively opposed the corruption.

Of course as a compromised officer rises through the ranks he starts to enjoy the power he can wield through corrupt acts, and the cycle starts to repeat itself. The corruption is no longer only about money but about power for its own sake. Then some will be attracted to politics......... which is another story!

I've heard that it's possible for corrupt officers to deliberately place junior cops in compromising positions, so that their hands are "dirty" and they feel forced to fit into a corrupt system, or lose their job.

The other alternative is to become a "whistleblower", who becames a hated enemy whom other cops see as a "bad guy" while the corrupt cops are the "good guys". Simon Illingworth, a well-known "whistleblower" in Melbourne, was publicly bashed by fellow police and lived in fear of being killed for years. He has since been proven right, but he paid a terrible price for his courage and honesty.

There are plenty of links to read up on including this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Illingworth

I dont find it strange that they are opposed to being investigated. Its actually quite common especially in the sporting industry and other government areas. I think that its the minority that are opposed to it, because they are most likely ones who are corrupt. I agree with you that some do feel threatened and are gagged for speaking out about their team members. Although you wonder why they are turning against what they believed in. I feel some are greedy and want more. Some perhaps think they'll never get caught, because they uphold the law. I also feel that corruption isnt only in the police force, but in other areas as well. I still believe that there is more honest police officers out there then the dishonest corrupt law enforcers.

curiously the states could first verify with the federal government to get approval in the previous they uphold federal regulation. on the same time as that's against the federal regulation to very own marijuana, states like California and Michigan have "legalized" it. See, this could be a sort of issues I omit with reference to the protection stress. There, you have provider huge rules after which you have community and command regulation. community and command rules can no longer liberalize a provider huge regulation. curiously, the civilians are all willy-nilly, wishy-washy and not too sparkling on how issues are meant to artwork. My inquiries to the human beings who oppose Arizona's regulation on immigration are, how do you justify the verify factors on I-5 and that i-15 between San Diego and Los Angelse/Riverside? and how is soliciting for identity for a white or black any distinctive than soliciting for it from an Hispanic? i'm getting pulled over, I would desire to coach my driving force's license/identity.

They say how corrupt the police force is is a good guage of how corrupt the local goverment is ,its pretty bad when if u know the right persons u can make files disapear like magik while you keep rapeing women and girls for eight years undisturbed while your file keeps disapearing this is how the worst serial rapist in history in my state got away with it for so long! a few states need big cleanout but it all comes back to local LABOUR governments here in australia letting it go on .

yes i do find it strange

however their should always be constant screening of people in power- not just police - to ensure coruption doesnt happen

well at least that is how it should work in a perfect world

but as we know it is far from perfect.