Corrupt Cops Thrive in Seattle Area ?

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

Whistleblowers are forced out. Bad cops stay on the job, evading discipline, or are allowed to retire instead of facing consequences. And many highly professional officers watch in disgust as the reputation of the King County Sheriff's Office suffers.

Over the past several months, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has revealed case after case of officer misconduct and breakdowns in discipline and accountability. In a three-part series this week, the P-I presents the results of a comprehensive investigation that has identified several reasons for these lapses. They include:

* An internal discipline system that often protects wrongdoing and punishes those who report it;
* A pervasive insider network that selectively rewards and protects its own, creating what critics call a culture of cronyism;
* And a union that has literally designed the department for its own control, successfully lobbying for an elected sheriff, and repeatedly protecting the jobs of problem officers.

The problems with monopoly.