Officers Have a Responsibility To Set an Example and Speak Up

Although there's often little prosecutors can do to persuade street witnesses to set aside their fears, there is another tool that works only on those in law enforcement, and that is the appeal to officers' deep belief in order and justice.

Ivey says appealing to officers' self-image as good guys can sometimes overcome the power of professional bonds, making officers feel that only by coming forward can they protect their own against the few who undermine the reputation of the many.

"With police officers, you have people who on average are more committed to the rule of law than a street thug," Strasser says. "Law enforcement does face higher standards, both as a legal matter and because it is right to expect more of them."

No one predicts a swift or easy resolution in Prince George's. The juxtaposition of a white police officer, Findley, and a black suspect, White, in a racially divided county only adds to the outside noise. And in the quiet of investigators' conversations with those who might know something, decades of rancor over police excesses exacerbate the tension between telling the truth and protecting colleagues.

In the TV version of life, cameras capture what we need to know about bad guys' behavior. But in reality, it's up to each of us to say when something has been done that breaks the social compact. Those who work in the jail are there not only to protect us from the violent people in those cells, but also to make certain we do not descend to the thugs' level.

Join me at a special time, 11:30 a.m., today for "Potomac Confidential" at www.washingtonpost.com/liveonline.