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Ethical Dilemmas Of A Patrol Officer

897 Words4 Pages

Situation: As a patrol officer, I am only doing my job when I stop a car for running a red light. Unfortunately, the driver of the car happens to be the mayor. I give her a ticket anyway, but the next morning I get a call into the captain’s office and told in no uncertain terms that I screwed up, for there is an informal policy extending “Courtesy” to city politicians. Several nights later, I observe the mayor’s car weaving erratically across lanes and speeding. What would you do? What if the driver were a fellow police officer? What if it were a high school friend?
Ethical Judgement: As a patrol officer my job is to serve and protect the public. Therefore, if I observe anyone weaving erratically across lanes and speeding, then I would have to issue him or her a ticket regardless of their job title or my personal relationship with the individual because of their traffic violations. Also, for the safety of other motorist driving on the highway. Based on …show more content…

In this situation the Patrol officer stopping the Mayor and giving her a ticket for traffic violations would be in the great good of other motorists on the highway. The patrol officer has a job to do, which requires serving and protecting the public. The officer stopping the mayor is for the safety of others and the mayor. By issuing the Mayor ticket the patrol officer is doing their duty as an officer. However, if the patrol officer lets the Mayor off the hook again because of courtesy, then he is not fulfilling his duties because they are allowing her to continue to break laws. By allowing her to continue to drive recklessly would not be in the greatest good of others but only of her. Therefore, the officer doing their job and issuing her a ticket is protecting the public from harm which is in the greatest happiness for the greatest

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