The Ethical Decision-Making Process within the Law Enforcement Organization - Research Proposal Example

 THE ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION. AN EXAMINATION OF INAPPROPRIATE UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHILE WORKING WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES Background Information The propensity of unethical behaviour among the law enforcement officers reached its toll in the 20th century in the United States. Many cases of unethical conduct among the officers in working within the communities involve excessive use of power and corrupt cases. The question on the application of ethics and the principles of right behaviour among the law enforcement officers has raised reasonable concern. In response to this trend, individuals and organisations have made recommendations for the inclusion of integrity training and education to address the problem. Ethical decision-making was to be treated as an essential area of concern among the local law and security enforcement agencies. One would be left to ask a number of questions that may lack a readymade answer. Why do law enforcement officers and security personnel engage in the unethical behaviour? What is the role of ethical decision making in addressing the vices of corruption and abuse of power among the police force? Is there a relationship between training and behaviour? What perception do the communities hold toward the conduct of law enforcement officers? These and many other frequently asked questions require answers that may only come along through a detailed study of the subject matter (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2014). Corruption, abuse of power, assault of women and other vulnerable groups during times of calamities have been manifest features of almost every law enforcing agency in the world. The security and other law enforcing groups have severally been reported to have used more force on the ordinary people than stipulated in the law. The result of the tainted name of the law enforcement officers has been the fear and resentment by the communities that have fallen victims of circumstances in this regard. One would wonder the ethical picture manifested when common people express their distrust and lack of confidence in a group that should perform a role that is paramount to peaceful human existence. Is it because of lack of proper training on the ethical standards and codes of moral conduct in the course of discharging their duties or is it a culture that has gradually made its roots in the system? Corrective measures are urgently needed to redeem the tainted reputation and public image of the law enforcement and security agencies (Caldero, Crank & Crank, 2014). Ethics is about what is right or what is wrong. It defines what constitutes a good or bad human behaviour. The behaviour is benchmarked against the set moral codes of conduct of the society, the requirements of professional ethics, the religious beliefs and the provisions of law to qualify it as ethical or unethical. People’s behaviour and the causes of such action to a great extent requires the knowledge of psychologists to explain. In an effort to exclusively address the subject matter of this valuable discussion, one should define what constitutes unethical behaviour in law enforcement. Ethics is an everyday life subject. It does not only apply to people in duty but also represents human actions when off duty. It all begins in a very noble way but toward devastating effects at the end. Unethical behaviour among the law enforcement officers begins from abscondment of duty, harassing of people to the ill-treating of suspects. Torture and violence, late reporting to work, unprofessional execution of duties to acts of greater proportion such as bribery, corruption and abuse of power fit in the category. The net effect of these unethical issues in law enforcement is the perversion of justice that results to unwarranted human suffering (Cordner, 2011). Unethical behaviour among the law enforcement agents simply refers to the lack of integrity in their conduct. These agents have been described by both the aged and young as being brutal, ruthless, inhuman and corrupt beings. Such a description significantly exposes the gap between law enforcement officers and ethics. Every result of a human action must have been preceded by a decision to take or not to take the action. Many are the times when people make decisions beyond their normal jurisdiction of power depending on the prevailing circumstance. Law enforcement agents have a discretion to make individual decisions in particular situations according to the laid down procedures. However, human decisions are greatly influenced by the common sense that draws from the human conscience whether an action is right or wrong. These and the many other issues that may not manifest in this discussion appeal to ethical decision making within the law enforcement organization (Desai, 2013). Recent cases that have raised questions about the ethical behaviour as practised within the police force in US include the February 1999 incidence where the New York police fired forty-one bullets at Amadou Diallo, who was unarmed. The incidence revealed the abuse of power and unprofessionalism. In 1988, it will be remembered that officers from the New Orleans were convicted in a court of law for taking a bribe of one hundred thousand dollars from cocaine dealers. Law enforcement officers in major states have publicly been confronted with unethical behaviour that includes the discrimination of the Black Americans and ill-treatment of minors other vulnerable groups. Purpose of the Research Previous studies relating to the conduct of the police force and the public’s perception of the police in the US have revealed the tainted image of the law enforcement agents. This study, however, aims at going beyond the identification into providing possible solutions and answers to the subject that gained momentum in the recent past. The purpose of the research is to analyse critically the inappropriate, unethical behaviour among the law enforcement officers by looking into their possible causes. The research would then proceed to suggest practical solutions of inculcating ethics into the decisions made and actions taken by the law enforcement agents. The primary focus of the study is to establish mechanisms that can remedy the problem of unethical behaviour among the law enforcement agents when executing their duties to the communities (Ojedokun, 2010). Methodology Research Design The research study will use secondary data collected from previous studies and primary data gathered from members of the public and the law enforcement officers. The study will rely on the collected data to analyse the unethical behaviour portrayed by the law enforcement officers when working within the communities. Discussions, Conclusions and recommendations related to the findings of this research would be made and submitted to the relevant institutions for service improvement (Wilson, Walsh & Kleuber, 2008). Target Population The target population for this study will encompass the members of the public and the law enforcement officers. The study shall target a total of one hundred members of the public and one hundred law enforcement officers. The sample size used shall comprise the two hundred respondents that shall both randomly and purposively identified. Data Collection Instruments The study shall use questionnaires as the primary data collection instrument. The questionnaires shall comprise structured and unstructured questions that provide both alternatives and a room for an in-depth response to the issues addressed. Interviews and discussions with the respondents will be used to provide more information and seek clarity of the responses where necessary (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2014). Procedures and Methods of Data Analysis Collected data shall be inspected, modelled and cleansed with the purpose of highlighting useful data in drawing conclusions and supporting the recommendations made. Data will be coded and categorised to meet the needs of data analysis. Qualitative data analysis methods will be used to analyse data. Frequencies, graphs and percentages will be used in the course of data analysis (Caldero, Crank & Crank, 2014). References Braswell, M., McCarthy, B., & McCarthy, B. (2014). Justice, crime, and ethics. Caldero, M., Crank, J., & Crank, J. (2014). Police ethics. London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis. Cordner, G. (2011). The architecture of US policing: variations among the 50 states. Police Practice And Research. Desai, K. (2013). Ethical Decision Making Within the Bureaucratic Context: A Case Study. Care Management Journals, 4(3), 122-128. doi:10.1891/cmaj.4.3.122.57520 Ojedokun, O. (2010). Effort-reward imbalance and attitude towards unethical work behaviour among police personnel: emotional intelligence as a moderator. IFE Psychologia, 18(1). doi:10.4314/ifep.v18i1.51658 Wilson, D., Walsh, W., & Kleuber, S. (2008). Trafficking in Human Beings: Training and Services among US Law Enforcement Agencies. Police Practice And Research, 7(2), 149-160. Doi:10.1080/15614260600676833 Read More