The 1972 Knapp Commission into police corruption introduced some really great vocabulary to express "the rank and file are complicit".
"Meat eaters" and "grass eaters".
The meat eaters were the officers that actively pursued opportunities to be corrupt and spent a great deal of time on the job engaging in corrupt activities instead of police work. The grass eaters were essentially normal officers who would turn a blind eye or do things that had been normalized such as accepting or soliciting small bribes opportunistically.
In the words of the report, "the grass eaters are the heart of the problem".
"Meat eaters" and "grass eaters".
The meat eaters were the officers that actively pursued opportunities to be corrupt and spent a great deal of time on the job engaging in corrupt activities instead of police work. The grass eaters were essentially normal officers who would turn a blind eye or do things that had been normalized such as accepting or soliciting small bribes opportunistically.
In the words of the report, "the grass eaters are the heart of the problem".