Knapp Commission
The Knapp Commission, established in 1970 and led by Whittman Knapp, was formed to investigate allegations of widespread corruption within the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The initiative arose after The New York Times planned to publish a revealing exposé on police misconduct, driven by the testimonies of two NYPD officers, Sergeant David Durk and Detective Frank Serpico, who had voiced concerns to no avail. The commission conducted public hearings where officers testified against their colleagues involved in various corrupt practices, including bribery and illegal activities like drug trafficking and gambling.
Through its investigations, the commission identified two categories of corrupt officers: "meat-eaters," who actively sought bribes, and "grass-eaters," who engaged in unethical behavior when opportunities arose. The findings prompted significant changes within the NYPD, resulting in the dismissal of numerous officers and criminal prosecutions. Despite its critical role in addressing police corruption, the commission faced controversies and was ultimately dissolved in 1972. The issues highlighted by the commission gained renewed attention with the release of the film "Serpico," which further illustrated the challenges of police integrity within the department.
Knapp Commission
Identification: Body established to investigate allegations of widespread corruption among New York City police
Date: Established in 1970; issued report in 1972
Significance: This commission investigated and substantiated unprecedented levels of police corruption, resulting in the dismissal and prosecution of police officers and a massive restructuring of New York City’s police department.
Named after its appointed leader, Whittman Knapp, the Knapp Commission was charged with the responsibility of investigating allegations of extreme police corruption among officers within the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The commission was impaneled in 1970 by Mayor John Lindsay after he learned that The New York Times was preparing to publish a major exposé of rampant police misconduct in the city’s police department. The newspaper’s primary informants were NYPD officers Sergeant David Durk and Detective Frank Serpico, both of whom agreed to talk to the newspaper after their police supervisors and the mayor’s office ignored their concerns about police corruption in the department.
The commission held public hearings to investigate the behavior of police officers alleged to be “dirty cops”; it also examined the organizational structure of the police department. The hearings were contentious, with police officers testifying against fellow officers about their involvement in bribery, prostitution, drug rings, and illegal gambling.
The commission eventually found that there was, indeed, widespread corruption within the police department. In its report, it classified corrupt officers as “meat-eaters” and “grass-eaters.” The former were officers who aggressively sought out bribes or other corrupt activity; the latter were officers who accepted bribes or partook in unethical behavior when opportunities were presented to them.
The commission’s findings led to a massive restructuring of the police department, dismissals of many officers and supervisors, and criminal prosecutions of dirty cops. In response to controversies surrounding the commission, the mayor abolished it in 1972. A year later, the problem of corruption in the NYPD received new national attention with the release of the film Serpico, which was based on Peter Maas’s book about the Knapp Commission’s star witness.
Bibliography
Armstrong, Michael F. They Wished They Were Honest: The Knapp Commission and New York City Police Corruption. New York: Columbia UP, 2012. Print.
City of New York. The Knapp Commission Report on Police Corruption. New York: Braziller, 1972. Print.
Delattre, Edwin J. Character and Cops: Ethics in Policing. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Amer. Enterprise Inst., 2002. Print.
Serpico, Frank. "The Police Are Still Out of Control." Politico. Politico, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 May 2016.
Sherman, Lawrence W., ed. Police Corruption: A Sociological Perspective. Garden City: Anchor, 1974. Print.