The Blue Code of Silence (also known as the Blue Shield, Blue Wall, Curtain, Veil, or Cocoon is an unwritten rule among police officers in the United States not to report on another colleague’s errors, misconducts, or crimes. If questioned about an incident of misconduct involving another officer (e.g. during the course of an official inquiry), while following the code, the officer being questioned would claim ignorance of another officer’s wrongdoing.
Excerpts from the deposition of Officer Jonathan Yuen of the Clearwater Police Department.
During the brief time period that Officer Jonathan Yuen was deposed he would respond with the phrase “I don’t recall or I don’t remember to twenty-eight of the questions posed to him. Officer Yuen’s memory deficit only occurs when asked questions regarding fellow police officers,medical investigator Marti Scholl or the presence of a “mysterious” couple who arrives at the scene “supposedly”when the “twenty-five minute” investigation is underway.
And what does a memory impaired officer do with his important notes?
A convenient lack of communication–no questions asked.
Excerpts of redundancy
Officer Yuens testimony regarding Kyle’s medication.
Additional literature
“Police Corruption and Misconduct”. TheFreeDictionary.com.
Chin, Gabriel; Wells, Scott (1998). “The “Blue Wall of Silence” as Evidence of Bias and Motive to Lie: A New Approach to Police Perjury”. University of Pittsburgh Law Review 59: 233. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
During the brief time period that Officer Jonathan Yuen was deposed he would respond with the phrase “I don’t recall or I don’t remember to twenty-eight of the questions posed to him. Officer Yuen’s memory deficit only occurs when asked questions regarding fellow police officers,medical investigator Marti Scholl or the presence of a “mysterious” couple who arrives at the scene “supposedly”when the “twenty-five minute” investigation is underway.
And what does a memory impaired officer do with his important notes?
A convenient lack of communication–no questions asked.
Excerpts of redundancy
Officer Yuens testimony regarding Kyle’s medication.
Additional literature
“Police Corruption and Misconduct”. TheFreeDictionary.com.
Chin, Gabriel; Wells, Scott (1998). “The “Blue Wall of Silence” as Evidence of Bias and Motive to Lie: A New Approach to Police Perjury”. University of Pittsburgh Law Review 59: 233. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
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