ipl-logo

Case Study: Loyal To The Badge

639 Words3 Pages

Three Perspectives of Loyalty

Reviewing the case study, Loyal to the Badge, found in the textbook, Business Ethics. April Leatherwood a police officer goes undercover for a year living on the streets and building a case that leads to the arrest of about three hundred people (Bprusseau, 2012). I will be looking at this case study from three different perspectives, to speculate on the ethical issues faced by officer Leatherwood. First, I will examine her obedience to the force and its protect-and-serve mission. Secondly, I will discuss the ethics involved from the point of view of Kant's Moral Philosophy, in particular the categorical imperative. Finally, I will consider Ethical Egoism as a driving force in the ethical choices made by April …show more content…

Living on the streets is difficult and dangerous, that is why so many who find themselves down and out help each other. I doubt if an inexperienced person would survive long in the often hostile environment of the streets without assistance of some sort. It seems that officer Leatherwood's duty towards others was temporarily disregarded when she befriended them with the intent of using them to make connections. What of the "two-bit drug sellers", mentioned in the case study, the friends of Summer Smith, the alias used by Leatherwood when undercover, doing what they must to survive. Assuming officer Leatherwood shared drugs with her contacts to gain their trust, does this not create an ethical dilemma when later having them arrested. Using Kant's Moral Philosophy as a guide, officer Leatherwood acted unethically towards those she shared her experience on the streets, despite the help they gave …show more content…

When viewed from the perspective of Cause Egoism officer Leatherwoods sacrifices seem to be a matter of serving her best interests. Her successful operation with its results must have been considered when deciding on her promotion to the desirable position of detective. Her actions benefited the fast tracking of her career on the police force, or did she merely align her career path with the needs of the

Show More
Related
883 Words | 4 Pages

Certainly, he expected to find it readily applied in his position with the state police, who exercise authority, and are sworn to uphold the law. Hopson’s expectation for this was shattered as a rookie trooper, and as a result, he experienced moral stress. Geuras and Garofalo (2011) state, “...moral quandaries cannot be denied. At the same time, however, organizational structures and cultures, expectations and reward systems, often tend to ignore or invalidate moral stress, leaving conflicted individuals with a Hobson’s choice: silence or whistleblowing” (p. 134). Hopson made the choice to remain congruent with values that aligned with ethical behavior and eventually elected to become a whistleblower; he could not remain

Read More
1240 Words | 5 Pages

The JSO Code of Conduct ensures that all members maintain an unprejudiced stance without fear, favor, malice, or ill will. However, while the Code of Ethics is crucial for encouraging ethical behavior and professionalism, it is not always implemented in practice. Field research can be utilized to allow more interaction between law enforcement and the community to limit systematic biases. This essay will delve into the pros and cons of the significance of the JSO Code of Ethics. Agency's Ethical Code

Read More
1755 Words | 8 Pages

Police organizations have been evolving over the years, but still there are so many things that have to be address in order to create a better law enforcement institutions. Police misconduct and police brutality have been the center of many confrontations between police officer and society. It is imperative that police organizations change the police subculture that exist among them that protects any wrongdoing from being disclose in order to promote a more efficient service to society. In the process of doing this assignment I learned how cohesive is the relationship between officers that most of the times protect them when they are acting in a misbehave way. It is really impressive to see how one officer was seen as a traitor in the organization because he decided to report police brutality.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

Hansen could have let the other officers do what they thought was right and that route would have ended up in the husband getting shot, but Hansen stepped up to the plate, in order to prevent another unwanted consequence; the guilt of letting the wife get groped, leading to the husbands anger and death and in which he could have stopped either or. In the end, Officer Hansen

Read More
1053 Words | 5 Pages

This book begins immediately with some shocking statistics that will allow the police officers in the ethics course to see just how prevalent the code of silence can be. Quinn reports, “only 39 percent of police officers believe fellow officers will report serious criminal violations involving the abuse of authority,” and “52,4 percent of police officers agreed, “It is not unusual for a police officer to turn a blind eye to improper conduct by other officers” (4). The book goes on to discuss why officers partake in the code of silence. A scenario given by the author describes an officer who reports to a domestic violence call and ends up being beaten by the offender. The offender would have killed the officer if it were not for the back up that arrived.

Read More
650 Words | 3 Pages

The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Code of Conduct is a code or standard of ethics that is be used to set a standard above ordinary morality for Tennessee State Troopers. Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct and any other policies, which may be specific to the employee’s organizational unit, may subject the employee to disciplinary action in accordance with the Department of Human Resources Rules and Regulations. All employees are required to read and sign this Code of Conduct before assuming their job responsibilities ("State of Tennessee _ Code of Conduct," 2016, p. 1). When determining why ethical behavior is important to the criminal justice system, lets first define just what ethics is.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

These guidelines help the officers in ethical decision making in hopes to eliminate undesired behavior and encourage ethical practices. “The codes of ethics are specific provisions promoting the safeguarding of lives and property, the importance of avoiding bias and the understanding that the badge is a symbol of the public trust (Roufa 2014).” These core values must promote a culture that encourages the open discussion of ethical dilemmas and the use of a fair process to resolving ethical conflicts and conducting research. The responsibility even lies on appellate and trial courts, public and prosecution defender offices; parole and probation agencies; custodial institutions and departments responsible for all the functions.

Read More
1615 Words | 7 Pages

Ethics and the Evolution of Police Policing in this present day is defined as an individual or group of individual who prevent and detect crime within a community. Policing compares in many ways. They all attempt to provide services, keep the peace and reduce crime. Policing has evolved into something much more than what it used to be. Within this essay are the many different perspectives and how ethics were learned.

Read More
391 Words | 2 Pages

The Reformation or the Protestant Reformation spanned much of the first fifty years if the 16th century. It began in the Holy Roman Empire, in an area now part of Germany. This movement spread across continental Europe, with a separate incarnation of the Reformation taking place in the British Isles during the same time. First off, several people laid the groundwork for Martin Luther’s later impact on the Church. Martin Luther had studied the teachings and theological ideas of John Wycliffe, John Hus, and Ginolamo Savonarola.

Read More
315 Words | 2 Pages

A modern law enforcement officer is taught to think critically and reflect on expected circumstances to possess some effective skills on leadership. Furthermore, law enforcement officers who has a strong problem solving skills and effective communication skills also develop community policing potentials. Improving a better understanding of leadership allows the public to respect the professionalism that a police officer upholds. Immanuel Kant’s ethical theories believe that an individual has the ability to make rational decision based on the action given to them (Kant 's Ethics, 2002). Immanuel Kant’s ethical theories are to illustrate the importance of duty and moral standards.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

Many police agencies today have established a code of ethics, or codes of conduct, and it easy to find parallels between Peel’s principles and present policies and

Read More
1000 Words | 4 Pages

From its first publication in 1939, John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath has become a classic in American history and literature. Yet Steinbeck’s use of intercalary chapters has always faced criticism. Because they depict stories separate from the main plot, many readers think that they detract from the story of the Joad family. Steinbeck defends his choice, arguing that they only add to the story. He also argues that the intercalary chapters provide insight into the society for which the narrative chapters do not allow.

Read More
1222 Words | 5 Pages

Ethics and the search for a good moral foundation first drew me into the world of philosophy. It is agreed that the two most important Ethical views are from the world’s two most renowned ethical philosophers Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. In this paper, I will explore be analyzing Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle and Kant’s Categorical Imperative. In particular, I want to discuss which principle provides a better guideline for making moral decisions. And which for practical purposes ought to be taught to individuals.

Read More
797 Words | 4 Pages

A career in policing requires an individual to meet a high standard for character and demonstrated behavior, in order to be developed into an effective officer. Succeeding in a police academy requires the candidate to display and apply integrity, a skill which must be developed before receiving admission. Integrity demonstrated through a police officer’s personal life, provides the foundation for a respected career. When presented with the opportunity to leverage a peace officer’s position for personal profit, an individual who has previously made selfless choices, is more reliable for operating within the law. Integrity as a term has the social implication of following ones beliefs, regardless of the opposition.

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

‘’Most officers enter law enforcement with minimal experience in the field or in handling the moral dilemmas that officers typically encounter. They learn how to perform their jobs, as well as recognize the organizational norms, values, and culture, from their peers and supervisors. While supervisors provide direct, formal reinforcement, officers’ peers offer friendship and informal rewards that, in many cases, hold greater influence than official recognition from the agency’’ (Fitch, 2011). Officers who come across situations where they are unsure what is morally and ethically best to do often turn to their peers for assurance and guidance. Good ethical behavior can easily be influenced by officers and those in law enforcement.

Read More

More about Case Study: Loyal To The Badge

Related Topics

Open Document