Why do cops dislike investigating other (potentially "bad") cops?

Answer 1

Cops do not like investigating other cops because it's a no win situation for the Officer being investigated, the investigating Officer, the department, and the general public.

Contray to popular belief cops do not always cover up for one another. Talk to any good officer and you will see them get PO when they are told we do. I do not tolerate law breaking from officers or criminals alike. I'm not loosing everything to cover up for another officer's screwup. If they are violating the law they get pulled away from the situation, an *** chewing and reported period.

Now it makes the officer being investigated as bad because sometimes a trust issue could come up depending on the allegations. As well as the general public gets wind, even if he is not at fault, for some reason the general public will treat him as a criminal.

The IA officer hates the investigation because no good comes out of it. Other officers view the investigating officer as against them because he/she will not just assume they are right. If the public has a perception he is guilty the IA officer will be percieved as protecting the officer if he does not find fault (though good IA officers remain firm knowing this fact).

The department's reputation is tarnished if officer misconduct is discovered to be true. Additionally constant investigations may prompt attention from another of resources they may step in and start to run the show from training, officer evaluation ect...

The public suffers as their reputation is tarnished. Rapport is shot to hell and in larger cities you find rioting in serious violations. Unrest occurs and then the city makes the news and by the end the whole city is featured as corrupt thanks to the media only hunting out the cop haters.

It's a no win situation but my hat is off to IA. I cooperate and let them do their job. I know if I screw up I will step up to the plate. I do not expect any officer to cover up for my mistakes. It's only fair.

Answer 2

These "bad" cops swear up and down that this is what they wanted to do as a career since they were young boys, it's family tradition they were willing to follow, and they built up such a wondrous reputation for fighting crime to keeping the streets safe, and cops don't go to prison, and blah blah blah. Law enforcement stands by these bad cops creating their own book of rules, and all the good, honest cops are forced to fall for this bull because they don't want to be seen as rats or Benedict Arnold's to the rest of this profession.

If I were a cop, I would have no problem investigating (and if they're guilty, turning in) bad cops to not only keep the streets safe, but also to clean up the corruption that has tainted the honorable reputation of this profession.

Answer 3

I don't like it as it I am supposed to be trusting that person with my life.

Not liking something and not doing it are two completely different things though. I fully agree that every bad officer should lose their badge and go to jail if need be. For every incident that a bad officer starts, it is replayed on tv a thousand times.

Covering anothers errors in judgement is not worth losing my job. My family is way to important for that.

Answer 4

I agree with Tom, professional courtesy and the deep gut feeling there shouldn't be bad cops.

Answer 5

It is my experience that they do not dislike it. In fact those officers assigned to IA divisions seem to have a religious fervor for it. That is why IA is a lifetime assignment, because they cannot integrate back into the workforce, as they view their coworkers as possible criminals.

Answer 6

Same reason why doctors cover up other doctors mistakes. Ditto with pilots, lawyers etc.