Reference no: EM133113907

The film is a perfect model for the slippery-slope theory. Alonzo (Denzel Washington's character) is the epitome of "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Throughout the film, Alonzo felt he was above the law, and I AM the law, with no ambiguity. Granted there is terror occurring in the community daily, that is no excuse for his unethical behavior, let alone his overwhelming role in illegal activity. Alonzo abused his authority and badge to commit crimes daily, which are the same crimes that he would be arresting anyone who got in his destructive path. The constant abuse of this authority led him to believe he was untouchable. Knowing this, the film makes a significant impact (to me personally) of the type of corruption and violence that can occur behind our backs. There is a fine lawn that is drawn between ethical and unethical, he crossed the line, and checked every box. I have seen it personally when cops become so involved in gang/narcotic policing, that their mentality turns into a gangster as well. This corruption does not only jeopardize his life, but also everyone in his path (as the film depicted). We have all seen in our careers that one cop's corruption jeopardizes the entire department's integrity and trust by the public.