A problem seldom addressed is that of hammering the institution and not the individuals who commit crimes while under that institution's protective umbrella.

Cops commit crimes: breaches of their orders to protect and to serve, assaults, acceptance of payoffs, lies under oath, etc. When the individuals are found out, the institution of 'policedom' or 'law enforcement-dom' closes ranks to shield the individuals because it reflects badly on the departments, and conduct unbecoming (to greater or lesser extents) is swept under rugs to be seen or heard of no more. But it is remembered. We compound that injustice by then saying "Cops are bad" or "Law doesn't work", and despite the crass generalization, it begins to colour our perceptions of all cops, everywhere.

(Until about 1930, most if not all Protestant churches had birth control views very much like those of the Catholic church--read Rome/Vatican today. The Anglicans rethought the issue and soon after most if not all Protestant denominations did the same.)

The problem is that institutions compound the offences done by individuals by protecting them. We see this occur in the military, government, police forces, professions, and churches. Sloppy thinking got us into this mess. Further sloppy thinking won't get us out.

When the US Army had to deal with drug use in Vietnam combat units--war and recreational drugs do not go well together--it did. I think the process took about 15 years and finally it was more or less stamped out. No, not completely, but the magnitude of the problem in Vietnam which infected discipline and behaviours in the post-war army was lessened a great deal and a more effective army was the result. They gave out pink slips, options of court martial or resignation--in essence, dealt with the offenders and subsequently the problem. Had the military structure continued to 'allow' the problem to occur the military would have the same situation today that is being experienced by the Vatican and its role in denying that a problem exists. Either deal with it internally or eventually remarks such as those that surfaced after the Chicago police riots in 1968 will be accepted more readily: 'Too bad it takes 10,000 bad cops to ruin the reputation of one good cop' and it will have to be dealt with by institutions that dispense what serves as justice these days.

An ignorant population is much easier to fool, but today the internet makes what you ate for breakfast everybody's business. Organized religions have to clean up their act, and that means getting rid of bad priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, popes, foolish encyclicals and dirt within the organization. Until that happens, it will continue to be business as usual and SSDD.

(Just a few general thoughts not aimed at anyone in particular.)