The Lexow Committee investigated corruption and led to reforms including which of the following?

The Lexow Committee investigated corruption and led to reforms including which of the following?

• A. Bribes to become a police officer and a captain; Civil Service System created; Police Academy established; Fingerprint files and crime lab created
• B. Widespread resignations and abolition of the police academy
• C. Only minor internal reforms with no training changes
• D. Increased corruption after reforms

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how a public inquiry can push a police department toward professionalization and the use of scientific tools. The Lexow Committee hearings exposed widespread bribery in NYPD appointments and promotions, showing that political influence and payoffs were shaping who got hired and who advanced. In response, reforms aimed to reduce patronage and raise standards: establishing a merit-based Civil Service approach to hiring and promotions, creating a Police Academy to provide formal, standardized training, and introducing fingerprint records and a dedicated crime laboratory to improve identification and evidence analysis. Together, these measures mark a move toward professionalism and improved investigative capability, not just cosmetic changes. The other options describe outcomes that didn’t occur, such as minimal reforms, abolition of training, or a rise in corruption after reforms.

The main idea here is how a public inquiry can push a police department toward professionalization and the use of scientific tools. The Lexow Committee hearings exposed widespread bribery in NYPD appointments and promotions, showing that political influence and payoffs were shaping who got hired and who advanced. In response, reforms aimed to reduce patronage and raise standards: establishing a merit-based Civil Service approach to hiring and promotions, creating a Police Academy to provide formal, standardized training, and introducing fingerprint records and a dedicated crime laboratory to improve identification and evidence analysis. Together, these measures mark a move toward professionalism and improved investigative capability, not just cosmetic changes. The other options describe outcomes that didn’t occur, such as minimal reforms, abolition of training, or a rise in corruption after reforms.