Blue Walls of Silence

The ‘blue wall of silence’ refers to the unofficial oath of silence among police officers within departments. They use the famous 'Cops do not rat on cops' phrase, which has long been the cause of a widened gap between the world of justice perceived by law enforcement officers and the citizens whom law enforcement officers are sworn to protect (Chin and Wells, 1997). The dedication to the blue wall of silence makes police officers more complex than criminals due to the contradictions the wall builds within themselves. The blue code burrs cops from reporting or taking responsibility for their colleagues' mistakes, crimes, misconduct, or brutality. The code results in the violation of law enforcement ethics and causes many officers to perjure themselves when questioned about their fellow officers during official inquiries.

An officer who participates in verbal and physical harassment, prejudiced arrests, and biased law enforcement is corrupt behavior. Many officers who deeply uphold the code may participate in these acts for personal gains or to protect their colleagues (Chin and Wells, 1997). The illegal actions are enough grounds for an officer to get suspended or dismissed, which becomes hard within the police departments due to the blue family code. False testimonies are a common issue in the United States courts due to the blue code or threats from fellow officers of hire or similar ranks. For instance, the Mollen Commission, popularly known as the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Police Corruption, carried out a long 2-year investigation that unveiled the use of false documents such as warrants and arrest reports to shield fellow officers from cases of illegal searches and arrests (Chin and Wells, 1997). The commission also revealed the use of fabricated stories when testifying before juries. Most of the lies uncovered by the commission were not due to greed but to cover for other officers, which any prosecutor would allow.

Law enforcement officers should always remember that their loyalty does not lie in their protection towards one another but to the law. The blue wall of silence makes law enforcement officers subject to nonfeasance. Nonfeasance is a type of police corruption where an officer intentionally fails to perform a legal duty (Huq and McAdams, 2016). The act of watching another person break the law, whether in uniform or not, and standing by to let that pass is a violation of the official law enforcement code of conduct. Some state laws exist to protect criminals and civilians from corrupt officers. Officer misconduct is a violation of Federal laws that involves misconduct, false arrest, wrongful cause of death, malicious prosecution, and protecting an officer who has committed these corrupt acts.

A law enforcement officer found guilty of misconduct can be sued by the victims for damages caused by brutality, death, or unlawful arrests. If an officer gets convicted, they may face imprisonment or pay high fines for their crime. Also, there must be enough proof during conviction that the officer was following the blue code or in misconduct or negligence (Huq and McAdams, 2016). Police officers' conviction due to the Blue Code or other forms of corruption is always challenging because law enforcement officers are protected by the defense of immunity. Defense of immunity is an exclusion from burdens and consequences that the law places on ordinary citizens. The US Supreme Court also gives police officers the benefit of the doubt, claiming that they acted unlawfully in their line of fulfilling their duties.

The police culture has been there for ages and has been a significant barrier to stopping corrupt officers. The police culture involves rules and values that have changed and developed over time and officer experiences affected by their working environment (Nhan, 2014). Police officers who become dishonest or corrupt in upholding the blue code are referred to as Grass eaters. The name also refers to police officers who misuse their powers for greed and personal gain, such as accepting payoffs to cover criminal acts. The set values and rules are taught and instilled in all recruits joining the law enforcement departments to allow them to survive and make it to greater ranks in the organizations. However, the police have tremendous and tight demands placed on them by the law and citizens, such as the threat of danger and public scrutiny build closely woven environments that allow for the development of emotions of loyalty among police officers (Westmarland and Rowe, 2018). The values lead to solidarity and isolation among police officers, making them stick to their kind, leading to an 'us against them' mentality—the mentality results in unconditional backing of each other and obstructing justice in observing the code.

Whistleblowing among police officers is rare. Whistleblowing refers to police officers reporting their fellow police officers for misconduct. The low number of whistleblowing cases is sometimes thought to be due to the heat of the moment, as most officers prefer to keep to themselves. Challenging the blue code for most officers makes them feel like they are betraying the long-existing traditions and emotions of brotherhood with the law enforcement institutions. The consequences of whistleblowing discourage most police officers due to the disrespect, disloyalty, and betrayal it shows of a whistleblower (Alpert et al., 2015). Any officers who gathered enough courage to report their fellow officers end up losing friends, getting shunned, losing backup, receiving physical threats, and their history of covered misconduct is exposed. The law enforcement departments also have forces and work laws that function against the code and encourage whistleblowing. Several officers join the workforce as recruits to maintain the law, but the blue code works against the idea.

Whistleblowing from most officers is also not always honest since most officers have personal motives to report on fellow officers. Some inform others to hit back for mistreatment caused to them by fellow officers. Also, others do it for administrative recognition and to prove their loyalty to their departments (Alpert et al., 2015). Such motives, in turn, offer promotions, press recognitions, or even awards. Law enforcement officers who disobey the code may avoid being sacked or losing their immunity from prosecution. Cases of whistleblowing have also been attached to other officers' thirst to sell stories to the media.

In conclusion, the 'blue walls of silence' exist due to officers' high sense of loyalty to their respective departments. The blue code history goes back to 1963, when most Ku Klux Klan members were officers who shielded each other and participated in violent prevention and end of strikes. The blue code is a prevalent problem in police departments, which has led to the creation of state laws to protect criminals and civilians against corrupt cops. The blue code obstructs justice and may lead to harm to the victims. Some officers get fed up with their colleagues' misconduct and decide to report them. However, it is not always that whistleblowing has noble motives, but some police officers do it for promotions, fame, and proof of loyalty to their departments.