Take the first step
Following a discussion with the officers, they made it clear that rather than write a ticket they would prefer a little something for their trouble. The executive duly paid and went on his way with no ticket and no problems.
Sadly, this is an all too common experience. Bribery is a practice that is widespread in not only the police department, but it seems just about every government agency. That's not just an anecdotal observation. An Interior Ministry report presented to the Sejm last week found that bribery was prevalent in just about every sector of the economy. Civil servants and local officials were particularly vulnerable, the report found, adding that payoffs occurred also in hospitals, customs offices and the courts.
The report shows that a rot has set in. It is one that slowly and surreptitiously erodes at the pillars of an open, democratic society, corrupting institutions that are meant to arbitrate and maintain order in an objective, unbiased fashion.
Not all see the danger, however. Some businesses, and in particular countries, view bribery as a necessary cost of doing business. They see it as simply being the grease that keeps the wheels of the economy turning.
But make no mistake, while bribery may bring short-term gains to a few, it is to the long-term detriment of the nation as a whole. When one knows that police, courts and the political system are corrupt, the fight to get one's own way quickly escalates. The first weapon is money. But soon, when opposing sides are both well capitalized, one seeks an advantage, usually through some sort of intimidation or blackmail. It is then just a short step to gangsterism and ultimately anarchy. For those who consider this an overly dire prediction, we can only say, hop a flight to Moscow.
So what can be done when salaries are low compared to Western levels and many businesses are willing to grease a few palms to speed up a process or get a vital piece of info. The answer is to view bribery and those who partake in it as criminals. Then go after them.
To do so, however, requires an effective enforcement mechanism. And that means cleaning up the police department. The government must start taking effective measures to see that police are not willing to take bribes. Those that do must be prosecuted and imprisoned. A good first step would be integrity checks. It would be easy. Wire an undercover car and run a few red lights. Every officer who accepts a bribe goes to jail. The message would spread quickly and behavior would change. Sure there are some who will continue to break the law. There always are. But it is important to establish a norm within the police department of upholding the law. Once this occurs, we will have taken a first step toward removing the "for sale" sign hanging over Poland.
Sadly, this is an all too common experience. Bribery is a practice that is widespread in not only the police department, but it seems just about every government agency. That's not just an anecdotal observation. An Interior Ministry report presented to the Sejm last week found that bribery was prevalent in just about every sector of the economy. Civil servants and local officials were particularly vulnerable, the report found, adding that payoffs occurred also in hospitals, customs offices and the courts.
The report shows that a rot has set in. It is one that slowly and surreptitiously erodes at the pillars of an open, democratic society, corrupting institutions that are meant to arbitrate and maintain order in an objective, unbiased fashion.
Not all see the danger, however. Some businesses, and in particular countries, view bribery as a necessary cost of doing business. They see it as simply being the grease that keeps the wheels of the economy turning.
But make no mistake, while bribery may bring short-term gains to a few, it is to the long-term detriment of the nation as a whole. When one knows that police, courts and the political system are corrupt, the fight to get one's own way quickly escalates. The first weapon is money. But soon, when opposing sides are both well capitalized, one seeks an advantage, usually through some sort of intimidation or blackmail. It is then just a short step to gangsterism and ultimately anarchy. For those who consider this an overly dire prediction, we can only say, hop a flight to Moscow.
So what can be done when salaries are low compared to Western levels and many businesses are willing to grease a few palms to speed up a process or get a vital piece of info. The answer is to view bribery and those who partake in it as criminals. Then go after them.
To do so, however, requires an effective enforcement mechanism. And that means cleaning up the police department. The government must start taking effective measures to see that police are not willing to take bribes. Those that do must be prosecuted and imprisoned. A good first step would be integrity checks. It would be easy. Wire an undercover car and run a few red lights. Every officer who accepts a bribe goes to jail. The message would spread quickly and behavior would change. Sure there are some who will continue to break the law. There always are. But it is important to establish a norm within the police department of upholding the law. Once this occurs, we will have taken a first step toward removing the "for sale" sign hanging over Poland.
