Police corruption is incompatible with the rule of law, and the degree to which it exists can seriously undermine the quality of life of citizens affected by it. A successful response to eliminate it, however, is contingent on the ability to properly define it, provide reliable data on its prevalence, and develop effective prevention and detection efforts.

Although there is no universal definition of corruption, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights defines police corruption as encompassing “the commission or omission of an act in the performance of or in connection with one's duties, in response to gifts, promises or incentives demanded or accepted, or the wrongful receipt of these once the act has been committed or omitted.”