"Corruption spreads fastest when enforcement targets minorities Prohibition enforcement collapsed quickly in cities like New York because most police officers were Irish Catholic immigrants who knew the law was culturally directed at them. The guide explains that officers were "more than willing to take a bribe to look the other way" or even warn speakeasy operators ahead of raids, because "prohibition was targeted at them" and their faith had "never had a theological issue with drinking alcohol." When a law or rule is perceived as discriminatory rather than universal, the people charged with enforcing it will undermine it — a pattern anyone designing compliance systems or organizational policies should anticipate. Source: Tour Guide (unnamed), Prohibition History Lecture, Temperance and Prohibition Tour Presentation"