Police corruption is legally, morally and ethically wrong. The art of corruption has existed from the beginnings of policing to the present day. Investigations revealed several acts of dishonesty and crimes ranging from petty theft to murder. To help combat corruption, the government creates commissions such as the Knapp and Wickersham Commission to investigate allegations of corruption. If corruption is found and proven, the commission initiates criminal proceedings against the law enforcement officer. As the allegations persist, one may ask:1. What is police corruption?2. What is the corruption continuum?3. Is there a code of silence?4. What are we doing to help prevent corruption?5. What are the effects of police corruption? This review of police corruption will focus on answering the three questions above. The key element of corrupt behavior is that the behavior (1) is prohibited by law or rule, (2) involves an abuse of position, and (3) involves reward or personal gain for the agent (Hess , 2009, 2006). Recognition of police corruption did not come to the forefront until the 1970s. The Knapp Commission established in 1972 identified corrupt officers as "grass eaters" and "meat eaters". The professionalism movement of the 1970s aggressively addressed the problem of corruption by creating more vigilant hiring practices, internal investigations, improved standards, and quality management. Accepting a cup of coffee or a small tip can trigger a downward spiral into police corruption. Once the officer understands...... middle of paper......within the department. Corruption still costs the nation millions of dollars a year to try to detect, deter and correct it. In summary, corruption persists in many police departments. Although the government has acknowledged these criminal acts, many officials tend to turn a blind eye to the nature of these crimes. Many members of law enforcement practice a code of silence in order to protect each other, but commissions have been created to counter this disturbing behavior. As a result, many departments have turned to internal and external procedures to combat this persistent problem. As public opinion grows weary of police tactics, the government has begun to step up its strategy to combat police dishonesty. Police corruption will continue to haunt the country as long as police officers believe they are above the law..