Sweeping Government Corruption Highlights an Age-Old Problem
History shows the guardians have little interest in punishing themselves.
Police Lieutenant Jessica Taylor recently announced she was leaving the Seattle Police Department after more than two decades on the force—but she had no intention of going quietly.
In a 15-page tirade she released on “The Jason Rantz Show," the 23-year veteran blasted Seattle’s mayor and city council, and appeared to accuse the police chief of corruption.
Her letter accuses the Seattle Police Department of being "a breeding ground of lies, deceit, favoritism, and rampant corruption" that, under the police chief's leadership, has resulted in waste and ineptitude and an escalation of crime. (Violent crime was up 20 percent in Seattle in 2021, Newsweek reports.)
‘Who Will Guard the Guards’
Readers can read Ms. Taylor’s letter (pdf) themselves to determine if the claims against the chief hold merit. But the alleged presence of corruption in Seattle’s political system and police department should hardly surprise us.
Government and corruption go hand-in-hand, and an age-old saying can help us understand why: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (Who will guard the guards themselves)?
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