system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Using the "Only a few bad apples" argument in regards to Police corruption is toxic and only serves to help those corrupt officials

I should begin by saying I'm not a cop hater. I also do genuinely believe that the "few bad apples" is not indicative of the entirety of police forces in the US.

However, I believe claiming that there's only a "few bad apples" negates from the severity of the corruption problem, making it not only more dangerous for citizens, but even other good police officers.


Whether you are a fan of police or not, it's impossible to deny that not only there are corrupt police officials, but even entire departments can be rife with bias and corruption. A great example of this would be the 2020 incident of The Rio Arriba County Sheriff's department in New Mexico's deputies helping to effectively hide and shield their sheriff from a legal search warrant by the Española PD.

There are also countless examples of good whistleblowing police officers trying to root out corruption in their departments only to be met with extreme forms of hazing and abuse for "ratting out" their fellow officers. One great example of many for this is the 2012 incident where Detective Joseph Crystal of the Baltimore PD contacted IA to report possible police misconduct in a 2011 drug bust which resulted in one officer being charged with misconduct and another being charged with assault and obstruction of Justice, as well as having their own girlfriend lie to Prosecutors and Investigators. Shortly after the report, Detective Crystal started receiving death threats and it even went so far as to him finding a dead rat on his car, most likely from other police officers trying to signal that they think of him as a "rat" and that's what they do to so called "rats."



Police corruption heavily affects your everyday citizens and can be incredibly hard to combat and prove, but it also even affects the very own good police officers we actually want.

By claiming that "bad apples" are only a small percentage of what is actually indicative of the police force and that shouldn't be a reason for concern, you are effectively creating a setting stage for corruption to go unchecked. This results in a system that not only increases the chances of regular citizens having their constitutional rights infringed, but also a system where even the best of police officers have no power to fight corruption and even face a potential loss of their career, but even more dangerous repercussions. 


It's fine to refer to them as a small bunch of bad apples, but let's not forget that the saying goes "a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch". Until we can effectively create a system that roots out corruption and assist/protects those good officers in their whistleblowing, then our police force in its entirety is flawed and dangerous for citizens and officers alike.

I believe we should stop excusing bad and violent officer behavior and heed the warnings of good police officers more often. Any instance of potential abuse or corruption should be thoroughly investigated by a 3rd party and not the specific departments Internal Affairs. As long as we allow corrupt departments to self investigate, there will be a window open for corruption that harms both citizens and officers alike. Saying there's only a "few bad apples" is what allows these entire departments to continue their rampant abuse while disguising themselves as a good force.
gpt
"Only a few bad apples" is usually said in response to statements such as "ACAB" (criticising the police force as a whole). It is a defence of good police officers rather than an excuse for bad ones.

Generally we want to support those good officers as they perform an essential role. They are also the ones who are in the best position to do something about any corrupt officers.