The author explains that during the past 14 years, the term “noble cause corruption” has emerged as a characterization of a certain type of police corruption. The author explores how the labels identifying certain behaviors signals society’s understanding of these behaviors. He offers many examples of labels that have emerged to soften the negative connotation of certain behaviors. For example, the term white lie emerged as a way of softening the underlying lie. As such, the term “noble cause corruption” emerged as a way of softening the corruption inherent in the action. A degree of respectability is afforded the corrupting act because it is thought to be motivated by noble intentions. However, the author explains that not everyone agrees that “noble cause corruption” is a justifiable offense. On the contrary, many understand any type of corruption to be just that; a form of police misconduct that should not be tolerated within society. The author goes on to explore some deeper problems inherent in police decisionmaking. He contends that the training of police officers and the rules governing their behavior do not always speak to the real-life situations that officers are confronted with on the streets. As such, at times officers must make the decision between following the letter of the law or securing the end result of maintaining the social peace at whatever cost. 90 Notes