Exploring police corruption in non-Western settings. An evaluative study on the applicability of existing theories of corruption in Mexico

Abstract

Corruption in police forces is a pressing problem in Mexico. Most theories and academic explanations of police corruption, including the ‘rotten apple’, ‘rotten barrel’, and ‘rotten orchards’ theories, were developed to fit the realities of Western countries, they may not necessarily apply to other parts of the world with completely different policing systems, police culture, or different perceptions of corruption by the wider society. This study aims to explore how the existing theories of corruption explain police corruption in Mexico, particularly in police services. The desk-based research applies the most popular theories, such as ‘rotten apple’, ‘rotten barrel’, and ‘rotten orchards’, and moves beyond them to discover theories and perspectives that can help gain a better understanding of the complex socio-political, legal, and historical factors that explain police corruption in Mexico. The study reveals that common corruption theories, such as ‘rotten apple’ and ‘rotten barrel’, are designed for the Western context and, therefore, are not entirely applicable to the Mexican setting. The ‘rotten orchards’ theory, the historical perspective, and additional theories of labelling and noble cause combined provide a better analysis of the corruption issue in this country. They demonstrate that corruption has been historically embedded in police services and society in general, created close links between police officers and criminals and made legal and policy responses ineffective. Based on the obtained findings, the study provides recommendations for further research and practice.