There are many definitions for police corruption. The easiest way to define police corruption is a specific form of misconduct designed to obtain financial or personal gain. Police corruption and misconduct are merely abuses of police authority. Misconduct is procedural when it refers to police who violate state and federal laws; unconstitutional when it refers to police who violate a citizen's Civil Rights (Banks,2013).
Police corruption covers a broad scope of violations which could include lying, accepting gratuities, misuse of authority, accepting bribes, blackmail, or anything deemed as an officer receiving an illegal benefit (Goldstein, 1996).
What conditions exist today, that would contribute to police corruption? Analysts believe their are three explanations to police corruption; institutional, systematic, or personalistic. The "rotten apple" theory is merely a few rotten apples exist in an otherwise honest department. The aim of the explanations is to divert attention away from the possibility that corruption might be systematic.
Exploring the institutional approach, two factors exist; the low profile and the secrecy within their organization. Police officers will often maintain a "wall of silence" to cover for another officer.
The systematic explanation looks at pressure placed on police officers by society. An example would be the low salaries our police forces have to endure. If you pay your police force minimal salaries they are more susceptible to corruption (Banks, 2013).