Police Ethical Conduct - Research Paper Example

Police Ethical Conduct Abstract: The activities of the police involve an essential part of the society since they are the followers of the law enforcements and the legal system having the powers to restrain crimes. However, in the recent times, it has been obtained that police officers are greatly involved in unethical practices even if they swear the oaths before joining the system. A need to understand the thought processes of such individuals proves to be essential in order to incorporate ethical codes in the system. The following study thus takes into account the ethical codes of conduct of the police officers, the dilemmas encountered by the officers as well as the society, the effect of the blue wall of silence, and the reasons why some officers follow the ethical codes while others choose the unethical practices. Introduction: The ethical codes of conduct of the police or the law enforcement officers have a significant role to play in the work of the police. One of the primary reasons requiring such ethical code is that the public in general would not accept a police department that is corrupted. The concept of ethics in this regard is associated with corruption, failure to act, gifts, and gratuities. In the recent times, in several countries including the United States, the corruption levels of the police officers have increased to great extents. Such corruption examples include officers not acting on criminal activities, acceptance of bribes, providing information that may put at risk an enquiry to issues or suspects of the investigation, involvement in the mission of a crime, making complaints that are fake and initiating actions by the court, failure to bear witness precisely, and forgery of police reports or official declarations for search or arrest warrants (Stering, 2004, p.37). The need for ethical police conduct is essential since if one police officer gets corrupted, it has a significant effect on other officers as well. In general public has a belief that the police are involved in corrupt activities and that they try to protect each other in their personal interests. However, police officers have been found to be proud of their profession and they tend to have values for the integrity and respect that are associated with their work. Generally, they try to perform their activities professionally and without being involved in corruption, such involvements meaning exception (Stering, 2004, p.37). The present study thus focuses on the ethical codes of conduct of the police officers also discussing the causes behind officers undertaking unethical decisions. Police Ethical Code of Conduct: The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics was in the beginning considered as an oath of a police officer rather than as an established code of ethics. However, there was an aspiration of having an oath of office that could be used for graduation ceremonies. This desire led to the creation of a separate code of ethics and conduct for the law enforcement officers and the police. Originally the code was created in the year 1957 which later had to be shortened since it contained several undesirable statements as well. Two separate documents were created as a result, one being the Code of Ethics and the other the Police Code of Conduct. There are nine primary headings in the police code of conduct. These are referred as the ethical mandates that police officers need to follow while performing their duties. Each of these mandates clearly explains the behaviour and the conduct that is expected of the police officers (Raines, 2009, p.64). The law enforcement officers are required to be fully aware of their ethical responsibilities while performing their activities and should live up to the expectations of their professional positions and ranks. The nine main headings that are contained in the Police Code of Conduct can be discussed as follows: Primary Responsibilities of a Police Officer: The role of a police officer requires representing the government officially for which he/she is working and needs to be a trustworthy person working under the rules of the law. The powers and the duties of the officer are bestowed by decree. There are certain fundamental duties associated with the officers that include service to the community, safe-guarding lives and properties, providing protective measures to people who are innocent, keeping the harmony and making certain the rights of all to liberty, equality, and justice (Raines, 2009, p.66). Performance of the Duties of a Police Officer: A police officer need to perform all his duties without being partial. He should not have any favour or affection or ill will towards any individual in particular or with regard to status, sex, race, religion, political belief or desires of the individual. All the citizens of a country should be treated by them equally with good manners, deliberation, and solemnity. Personal feelings, ill feelings, or friendships should not influence the conduct of the officers. The laws should be enforced by them with appropriateness and courtesy, and the cooperation of the public should be considered significantly by the officers. While they perform their activities, their manner of work should be able to gain the confidence and respect of the public (Raines, 2009, p.66). Discretion: The police officers are generally allowed certain discretions that are needed to be used within the boundary of the laws and with reasonableness and responsibility. Before undertaking any legal actions, the police need to consider all the consequences associated with them. The discretions being used wisely and with consistency would enable gain of public confidence and retain good relationships with them. Conflicts in the courses of actions might be encountered by the police where the officers need to determine the most effective action enabling betterment of the society (Raines, 2009, p.66). Use of Force: Unnecessary force or violent activities should not be applied by police officers unless there are reasonable causes for the application of the said acts. Before applying such force, discussions are also necessary so that the decisions taken do not involve any wrong steps on the part of the police. There are times when the police may not be able to avoid the application of force, it is necessary those unnecessary inflictions of pain or suffering should be avoided and there should be no cruel or inhumane treatment towards anyone (Raines, 2009, p.66). Confidentiality: Whenever a police officer comes across any information that is confidential in nature it needs to be kept secret unless the performance of his duty legal provision requires it to be exposed. The public has all the rights to security and privacy. Hence any information related to the public should not be exposed by the police without the actual need of it (Raines, 2009, p.66). Integrity: Police officers are not supposed to involve in acts of corruption or should not even support such acts within or outside the system. It is of the public demand that the integrity of the police officers should be beyond all criticisms. Hence police officers need to consider all measures without compromising their integrity which otherwise might lead to losing confidence of the public. Officers should refuse to accept such gifts, presents, subscriptions, favours, gratuities, or promises that might be construed as looking for causing the officer to ignore official responsibilities. The official status of a police officer should not be taken advantage of. The code focuses on the fact that respect of the public needs to be earned and it cannot be bought (Raines, 2009, p.66). Cooperation with Other Police Officers and Agencies: Police officers need to work in cooperation with all other members of the legal system. It is necessary that a police officer assists his colleagues or any member of the legal system entirely and absolutely with due respect and contemplation at all times of need (Raines, 2009, p.66). Personal-Professional Capabilities: Police officers need to be constantly taking advantages of all opportunities that allow them to improve themselves in terms of their professional excellence. This includes enhancing their knowledge and competence and they are themselves responsible for their status of professional capability. A police officer has the opportunities available through study as well experiences to improve their knowledge and hence increase their level of working ability (Raines, 2009, p.66). Private Life: The private lives of the officers should also be commendable such that any negative act that occurs off duty does not affect the professional code of the officer or his performances and responsibilities. Thus along with the professional ethics, the personal lives of the police officers should also be beyond criticisms (Raines, 2009, p.66). Police Ethics Causing Dilemma to Officers and the Society: Police officers and the society tend to encounter dilemma in regard to the ethical codes of conduct of the police since many times the police might use their discretionary powers towards performing an act that they consider to be beneficial for the society but in reality it turns out in the other way around that the society does not accept at all. Such a situation has been referred as noble cause corruption where the police officers infringe legal or ethical standards in the quest of what they recognize to be benefiting the society at large. Officers are required to make difficult decisions on a regular basis while they perform their duties as they allowed certain discretions (Dempsey & Forst, 2011, p.213). However, each and every situation being different, it is the circumstances associated with the particular incident that determines the courses of actions to be undertaken. Hence officers need to consider several factors while they make such decisions. There might be cases where the wrong factors are considered. In such cases, they are encountered with questions and doubts of criticisms and corruptions as the society believes them to be. People initially might deviate a little from their faith in the system but if their deviation exceeds to a greater level, then their confidence on the system might be significantly damaged. Thus this creates dilemma for both the officers and the society (Dempsey & Forst, 2011, p.213). Role of ‘Blue Wall of Silence’: Studies associated with the culture of the profession of policing have obtained that police officers tend to protect each other from individuals or groups outside the system. Even many times, they might not allow superiors or investigation departments to play their roles in cases where some wrongdoings are supported by each other. There are certain beliefs that this involves a particular culture of the police department where a protective barrier influences the functions of the police officers. This barrier has been referred as the Blue Wall of Silence. Studies reveal that fact that this culture or subculture of the police profession might affect the reputation and responsibilities of the officers significantly. It is believed that owing to such unofficially established, pessimistic, institutionalized expectations of roles are the primary reasons leading to low appreciation of the police (Dempsey & Forst, 2011, p.153). While it is the culture within the occupation that teaches and gives lessons on how to behave and what measures to be taken for maintaining the ethical codes of conduct, on the other hand the blue wall of silence is also created by that occupational culture only. This allows the officers to protect themselves from several unethical activities that they might be involved with. The menace lies more with the fact that bad cops might be lesser in number, but during the times of need, the good police officers often do not take the steps that are needed to be considered. The police organizations might be looking for information on cases of crimes and these police officers might be asked for to gather such information. The unfortunate fact lies in that these officers themselves support the wrongdoings within the system, with the powers provided by the Blue Wall of Silence (Barker, 2011, p.127). Some Officers Choosing Unethical Practices While Others Supporting the Law: Police officers taking oaths to protect the public encounter several dilemmas related to their ethical codes of conduct. In such cases of dilemma, officers tend to get confused to determine which path they should undertake. While some officers are capable of remaining ethical to their profession and performances, some others might get influenced and undertake unethical decisions. This primarily occurs since these individuals have the habit of getting tempted quite easily. Studies reveal that ethical decision making involves a thought process. The restrictions or limitations on the unethical behaviour or measures are to a great extent possible through the leniency that prevails within an organization or system. Strict consequences made available often might be able to be reduced. When individuals encounter ethical dilemmas, some individuals have trouble putting away their self-esteem and requesting for opinion. People who are sensitively intellectual refute their self-worth, acquire self-assurance, and look for guidance from others before making harsh choices (Cartwright, 2010). For the law enforcement officers, although this might seem to be an easy task, however, while deciding to ask for guidance, some people tend to consider themselves becoming exposed to that person. Thus, focusing on the potentials they believe they must accomplish, police officers over and over again deem defencelessness as equivalent to flaw. More particularly officers looking for opinion may see that asking someone else for advice downgrades them to an inferior position. This insight, that it is feeble to bestow in others, bears threat. In this consideration, the inducement to perform unethically bears a resemblance to a flowing river that seeks for the land for the pathway of slightest confrontation, in quest of the weaker parts of the earth making roving easier. Requesting for feedback and sharing the trouble facilitates others to convey interest to those weaker areas such that they are not besieged when the water draws near (Cartwright, 2010). Thus it can be realized that the differences in the decision making among the police officers occur owing to the differences in the thought processes of the individuals as well as in the manner they tend to get tempted. It is actually by choice that a person becomes corrupt or performs unethical activities in the police departments. In law enforcement there are several opportunities that allow police officers to build poor decisions or unethical decisions. It can be believed that while one undertakes the unethical pathway, the consequences are also meant or reserved for him that includes facing the higher authorities, the public or his families and near ones. For some individuals if these thoughts are not enough to restrict him from being unethical, then it is difficult to stop him. However, in general there are individuals who do care for these factors and hence choose to uphold the law instead of getting influenced in the unethical practices (Stering, 2004, p.39). Similar to other organisations there are practices inside the police service as well which although they may be considered to be nonstandard are however accepted and not alleged as fraudulent. In certain cases nevertheless they may be different only in level from activities that would almost unvaryingly be thought-out as corrupt. In cases where a police officer pronounces himself as non-corrupt, he is often encountered with several questions and doubts. Accepting a free cup of coffee, may be a meal, small presents are often considered by the officers as part of their works and are ignored to be acts of corruption. These matters are considered differently by different individuals and hence the ethical or unethical decisions vary among the police officers. A thin line of difference may be a matter of significant fact between bribes and gratuities. While bribes may be of a significant amount and considered to be of a severe crime, gratuities on the other hand may be considered to be unethical to insignificant quantity that actually depends on the thought process of the officers (Newburn, 1999, pp.8-9). In regard to the ethical considerations of activities under the enforcement of the law, the police officers have the choices to make. It depends to a great extent on the individual to take the ultimate decision. It is actually worth of to consider guidance from others such that one is able to understand which is correct and which is not. However, since many times, individuals ignore this guidance out of the fear of being exposed, hence they are often unable to choose the right path. Moreover, the lack of strictness within the system allows such unethical activities to be permitted, that is also a matter of significant concern. Thus while some police officers who have control over their activities and though process are engaged in upholding the law, there are others involved in corrupt practices. Conclusion: The study has been focused on the ethical codes of conduct on the police officers and how the police officers in spite of taking oaths are involved in corrupt practices. The codes of ethics as have been discussed in the study clearly explain the requirements that are expected of the police officers for maintenance of ethical manners particularly focusing on the gain of public confidence. However, there are officers who involve themselves in unethical activities in the midst of the dilemmas that they encounter while performing their duties. Such dilemmas occur when they need to take decisions on various issues based on their discretionary powers and while they think one decision to be correct, the society might consider some other thoughts. While such dilemmas exist, individuals weak in their thought processes and temptations tend to choose the path that might be easier but unethical in nature. The system itself also proves to be lacking the strictness that might be able to threaten the unethical acts planned by the officers. Thus, it can be concluded from the study that police officers who have a significant role to play within a society, need to understand the needs of the ethical codes of conduct as well as the need for some serious actions also are required in order to bring in the successful ethical police activities. References 1) Barker, T. (2011). Police Ethics: Crisis in Law Enforcement, Illinois: Charles C Thomas Publisher 2) Cartwright, G. (2010). FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI, Retrieved on May 31, 2012 from: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/august-2010/perspective 3) Dempsey, J.S. & L.S. Forst (2011). An Introduction to Policing, Connecticut: Cengage Learning 4) Newburn, T. (1999). Understanding and preventing police corruption: lessons from the literature, tvernedra, Retrieved on May 31, 2012 from: http://tvernedra.ru/Pretotvkorvpolice.pdf 5) Raines, J.B. (2009). Ethics in Policing: Misconduct and Integrity, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning 6) Stering, R. (2004). Police Officer’s Handbook: An Introductory Guide, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning Read More