Ethical Issues in Developing a Culture of Integrity in Police Work - Essay Example

Ethical Issues in Policing and Strategies for Developing a Culture of Integrity in Police Work Student’s Name Institution Ethical Issues in Developing a Culture of Integrity in Police Work This essay outlines ethical dilemmas in policing and strategies for developing a culture of integrity in police work. Ethical issues exist not only in policing, but also in government and in politics in every part of the world. The topic of ethical dilemmas is a sensitive area in policing and it is evident that the ethical dilemmas affect the efficiency of police officers while undertaking their duties. The ethical issues are well addressed through ethical formalism and utilitarianism, which assist to outline the dilemmas the police encounter in their duty (Pollock, 2012). This essay addresses the main categories of ethical dilemmas that police face in their work. They include duty, discretion, honesty, gratuities and loyalty. Integrity can be developed in police work by recruiting competent police officers and then subjecting them to a comprehensive feature-training that addresses all the ethical issues (Porter & Penzler, 2012). Ethical Dilemmas in Policing A professional code of ethics is important in policing as it is in any other profession. The code of ethics is particularly relevant in police work due to the numerous ethical dilemmas that the law enforcement officers encounter in their jobs. The dilemmas in policing arise due to the authority of the police force, the discretionary nature of police work, the fact that most law enforcement officers lack habitual morality, the temptations they face, the pressure they receive from their peers, and the crises that occur in police work. The main categories of ethical dilemmas that police face include duty, discretion, honesty, gratitude, and loyalty (Miller & Blackler, 2004). The first place where police officers encounter ethical dilemmas is at the place of work. It is evident that not all police officers view their duty in the force, from the same perspective. There are situations in which a police officer may feel that a particular work requires a special action, but on second thought, he concludes that the action may not be convenient or may be less important. For example, a police officer may be called to save a situation such as a serious family conflict. However, when the police officer arrives at the scene, he finds that there is no crime that has been committed. The ethical dilemma in this case is whether it is appropriate for the officer to try to resolve a volatile situation before it propagates into a crime (Miller & Blackler, 2004). Another ethical dilemma in the line of duty concerns the responsibilities that police have towards the community. There are some police officers who believe that it is part of their duty to assist the poor and needy people in the community. For instance, these police officers believe that it’s their duty to ensure that poor and homeless children are taken to children’s homes where they can access basic human needs. However, some officers are opposed to this belief. Since in such cases the police have great differences in opinion, they raise an ethical dilemma given that every police officer is left to make their own decision (Pollock, 2012). There is also an ethical dilemma in the line of duty when a police officer is faced with a situation in which he is expected to carry out a certain act that is almost out of his mandate. This situation is much related to a temptation where a police officer may decide to violate the schedule to save a situation. For instance, it becomes particularly difficult for an officer to stop and attend to a serious jam or accident that he finds on his way to work, when he is already 5 minutes late (Miller & Blackler, 2004). The second category of ethical dilemmas in policing is discretion, which refers to the power of a police officer to make a decision regarding a distinct situation. Most of the ethical dilemmas that police officers face involve making the right choices. For instance, the police are required to make rational choices in situations where they are faced with an altercation, a decision to make an arrest, and choice to permit someone to do a certain task among many others. In most of these situations, the officers become uncomfortable and confused between what the law requires them to do and the most appropriate actions warranted by those situations (Pollock, 2012). Ethical dilemmas under discretion may also occur in situations where officers are required to make a choice of whether to enforce a particular law in incidents where they feel that the misconduct is negligible and enforcing the law is not necessary. In these cases, the law involved is considered insignificant (Prenzler, 2009). Some officers find it uncomfortable to enforce laws such as a traffic citation as they find them relatively minor. The main issues that make these situations present ethical dilemmas to the officers include the age and social status of the offenders. In most of these situations, the offenders are elderly or very poor and making an arrest sounds inhuman to the officers. Consequently, the officers are left torn between empathy and the need to enforce the law (Pollock, 2012). Another ethical dilemma in this category is caused by the relationship of a police officer with the offender. It is difficult for some police officers to enforce laws in situations that involve their colleagues, relatives or spouses. Very few police officers can manage to arrest their colleagues who violate traffic laws. For example, many police officers are faced with dilemmas when they stop a speeding car and find out that the driver is a fellow police officer. In most cases, the police officer may let the car go for fear of arresting a colleague (Pollock, 2012). The last type of discretion dilemmas occurs in situation where there is no policy or law to guide officers in resolving situations. Most of these situations involve family disputes that happen before the relatives have reported them to a police officer. In that case, most officers may want to do everything possible to save the situation. However, it becomes difficult for the officers to determine what is right as there are no laws to guide their actions regarding such disputes (Prenzler, 2009). The third category of ethical dilemmas in policing is related to honesty. The main elements of dilemma in this category involve the need for self protection, the need to make an arrest, and the temptation to take briberies in the name of service appreciation. The first type of dilemma in this category is a situation where a police officer tries to cover up his mistakes by lying. An example is a case in which an officer meets a known drug dealer and decides to do a search on him without a proper reason. The officer then decides to lie about the probable cause for searching the suspect when giving his testimony in court (Pollock, 2012). Another dilemma that is evident in this category involves bribery. Bribery is defined in ethics as a form of dishonesty that police officers should not get involved in. It involves acceptance of a reward for carrying out an illegal act or failing to act to avoid disrupting the progress of an illegal action. Some officers view the money they receive from the public for assisting them in some issues as a genuine reward. However, they are often caught in the dilemma of whether to accept or reject such rewards (Prenzler, 2009). The last category of ethical dilemmas concerns loyalty of the police officers to the law. Many officers are always caught in a dilemma when they are faced with mistakes of their colleagues. Like civilians, some police officers also get involved in wrongdoings, which may range from simple mistakes such as misuse of overtime to serious misconducts such as the physical abuse of a criminal. Some officers faced with such scenario find it difficult to make a decision of whether to report the colleague or to let the crime go by keeping quiet (Prenzler, 2009). Developing a Culture of Integrity in Police Work It should be noted that police officers are ordinary people, who are not immune to misconduct and feelings of mistrust. Consequently, the most effective way by which integrity can be developed and maintained in police work is by training the officers on how to deal with ethical matters that they encounter in their work. Another issue that compromises the integrity in police work is the recruitment of less competent individuals into the police force. For that reason, the first attempt to uphold integrity in police service should be based on recruitment of competent and intelligent individuals who can make the right choices when faced with the most difficult ethical dilemmas (Klockars, Ivkovic, & Haberfeld, 2006). The first strategy to develop integrity in police work involves keenness during the recruitment of police officers into the service. The recruiting personnel should ensure that the individuals recruited at any given time have the necessary skills and knowledge that are required in the police service. This can only be achieved if the recruitment processes are kept free of corruption, nepotism and racial disparities. Corruption and racial disparities are known to give rise to individuals who are less fit to work as police officers. The best way to end up with the most qualified individuals in the police service is by conducting a comprehensive recruitment process where the recruits’ background information, level of competency and dedication to the service are thoroughly scrutinized (Klockars, Ivkovic, & Haberfeld, 2006). Ethics training is the second strategy that should be implemented to install integrity in the police force. The training should be conducted for both newly recruited police officers and the officers already serving in the force. For that reason, the training should not be a one-time event, but a continuous process that is conducted regularly in the force. The new recruits should be subjected to elaborate ethics training so that they can learn and develop skills that they can use to make the right choices when faced with ethical dilemmas (Porter & Penzler, 2012). The training sessions should be comprehensive and formal. They should be presented in a well structured format, which includes classes, team meetings, briefings and on-the job instruction. The officers should be trained not only on how they need to relate with the public, but also with their colleagues. They should be instructed to use the law and the police code of ethics when faced with situations that require their intelligence and decision-making skills. This can assist the officers to develop proper ways of relating with the public as well as their fellow colleagues (Porter & Penzler, 2012). Lastly, the officers should be trained on how to manage their human emotions. Human emotions are one of the major factors which determine how people make choices in life. There are instances where police officers are overcome by their emotions and end up making wrong choices. Consequently, it is advisable that the officers be taken through feature-intensive training where they learn how to control use of excessive force, evaluate their emotions, and respect citizens and their colleagues. Such comprehensive feature-trainings are effective at developing and sustaining integrity in police work (Klockars, Ivkovic, & Haberfeld, 2006). Conclusion This paper addresses ethical dilemmas in policing and strategies for developing a culture of integrity in police work. Ethical dilemmas in police work refer to situations where police officers are faced with incidents in which they are required to make decisions that are legal and at the same time, ethically right. The main categories of such dilemmas include those related to discretion, duty, honesty, and loyalty. The ethical issues are some of the major factors that affect integrity in police work. For that reason, the most effective strategies for developing and sustaining integrity in police work include recruitment of competent officers and training the officers on ethical issues. References Klockars, C. B., Ivkovic, S. K., & Haberfeld, M. R. (2006). Enhancing police integrity. Dordrecht: Springer. Miller, S., & Blackler, J. (2004). Ethical issues in policing. Burlington, VT: Ashagate. Pollock, J. M. (2012). Ethical dilemmas and decisions in criminal justice. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Porter, L., & Penzler, T. (2012). Police integrity management in Australia: Global lessons for combating police misconduct. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Prenzler, T. (2009). Ethics and accountability in criminal justice: Towards a universal standard. Bowen Hills, QLD: Australian Academic Press. Read More