blue wall of silence
Badge-wearers' omertà
The blue wall of silence is the unwritten code among police officers not to report or testify against a colleague's misconduct.
Blue refers to police uniforms; the wall suggests an impenetrable barrier protecting officers from outside scrutiny.
Also called the blue code of silence.
The officer who broke the blue wall of silence faced retaliation from fellow cops.
Refusing to inform authorities
- complicityShared criminal involvement
- collusionFraudulent secret cooperation
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
- stonewallingDeliberately refusing to respond
witness intimidation · hush · acquiescence · tacit agreement · looking the other way · plausible deniability · non-disclosure · gag rule
Improper professional behavior
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- internal affairsOfficers investigating officers
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
transparency · whistleblower · investigation · discipline · complaints · abuse of power · excessive force · brutality
Loyalty owed to authority
- brotherhoodKinship among men
- solidarityUnity among allies
- camaraderieGoodwill among companions
- bondBinding tie or connection
unity · fraternity · esprit de corps · cohesion · kinship · fidelity · devotion · commitment
Act of hiding something
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- undisclosedNot made known
redact · obfuscate · suppression · hidden · covert · shrouded · veiled · unreported
no snitching
Refusing to inform authorities
- complicityShared criminal involvement
- collusionFraudulent secret cooperation
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
stonewalling · witness intimidation · hush · acquiescence · tacit agreement · looking the other way · plausible deniability · non-disclosure · gag rule · forbidden knowledge
misconduct
Improper professional behavior
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- internal affairsOfficers investigating officers
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
oversight · transparency · whistleblower · investigation · discipline · complaints · abuse of power · excessive force · brutality · scandal
allegiance
Loyalty owed to authority
- brotherhoodKinship among men
- solidarityUnity among allies
- camaraderieGoodwill among companions
bond · unity · fraternity · esprit de corps · cohesion · kinship · fidelity · devotion · commitment · trust
concealment
Act of hiding something
- cover-upHiding wrongdoing from public
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
undisclosed · redact · obfuscate · suppression · hidden · covert · shrouded · veiled · unreported · buried
- policingpatrol, police powers, arrests, police officer, arrest
- policeofficer, cop, officers, patrol, cops
blue wall of silencewhistleblowing
Exposing hidden wrongdoing internally
transparency · speaking out · breaking silence · disclosure · full disclosure
blue wall of silencepolice accountability
Scrutiny of law enforcement conduct
civilian review · duty to report · professional integrity · institutional reform · self-policing
blue wall of silenceopen-door policy
Unrestricted access principle
independent review · self-policing · duty to report · good governance
silence, blues, bluest, bluish, blueness, walls, walled, walling, silent