Ethics Training In Policing

12 Pages 2953 Words

at heart. Is this justified? Probably, because public service is a choice the individual makes and the power entrusted in them is extreme. When officers commit crimes and engage in other wrongdoing it is typically front-page news. Some may complain that law enforcement officers are more scrutinized and held to higher standards than any other profession, but when one understands the nature of policing, it is clear that the nature of the profession creates greater expectations. Law enforcement is not just a “job.” It is an acceptance of the responsibility of protecting and serving and further it is accepting the responsibility to uphold and protect the law.
Ethical dilemmas are presented when the actions of one person or a group of people interfere with the interests of another person, group of people, or the community as a whole. Ethical decision-making models, unfortunately, cannot adequately depict or characterize the complexity of ethical dilemmas. Scenarios created in the classroom differ greatly from real-life ethical dilemmas. In the classroom, detached participants look at facts, calmly discuss, and produce ideal solutions that fit into the realm of a code of ethics. Making the right, ethical decision in real life demands strength of character because the reality of circumstances often blurs the line between right and wrong. Where as, in the classroom, choosing the right answer requires little effort and is often presented artificially (4). Police officers must posses and utilize personal integrity and know the risks associated in police work before they confront ethical dilemmas.
Concerns about police integrity, corruption and unethical behavior are not new. Ethics is typically taught during the basic academy and at in-service training after appointment. Every criminal justice profession has codes of ethics and statements of values. The Code of Ethics for Law Enforcement, written in 1956 by the Internation...