ipl-logo

Ethics In Criminal Justice: Ethical Decision Making Process

1030 Words5 Pages

Ethical Decision Making Process
CMRJ308 Ethics in Criminal Justice

Ethics seems to be a popular topic for discussion these days, especially in law enforcement. During the past few years law enforcement has been the subject of increased scrutiny across the country; Rodney King, Ruby Ridge, evidence planting in Philly and Mark Furham’s testimony. The last decades have seen the issues of ethics come to the forefront of our society predominantly through TV, radio and print. Since that is the case law enforcement officers should represent the highest level of ethical conduct in a community. In a perfect world that would be the case, whether they were in the spot light or not, in most cases it still is true
A major proportion …show more content…

Officers live and work in a constantly changing and dynamically social context in which they are exposed to a large amount of ethical conflict. When either unprepared or unaware officers are more likely to go with the flow then they would be if they were adequately prepared to face potential ethical risk. For unethical acts to occur three distinct elements of police corruption must be present; misuse of authority, misuse of official capacity and misuse of personal …show more content…

“When law enforcement administrators and educators were asked what is the primary cause of ethical problems in policing today, most said it is a reflection of the moral decay and the loss off values in our society today. Many law enforcement leaders felt the current generations of police officers do not have the moral and ethical standards of previous generations.” (Beech, 2000) What is learned from this research can make training and leadership much more focused and effective. Officers must be made aware that ethical behavior is in their best interest and that policing their own are the only course to maintain the

Show More
Related
1507 Words | 7 Pages

These challenges shaped the evolution of police departments, prompting them to adapt, strategize, and reform, constantly reshaping their approach to maintaining the peace. This historical panorama provides an invaluable context for understanding the police departments of today. The twin ideals of authority and service persist, albeit in more complex and plural societies. Today's law enforcement agencies grapple with the same challenges, albeit amplified by technological advances and societal changes.

Read More
237 Words | 1 Pages

As defined by Bob Harrison in Noble Cause Corruption and the Police Ethic, “Noble Cause Corruption is the concept of officers acting illegally,not for personal gain, but to fulfill moral obligations, stands as a testimony to the difficulties encouraged by those entrusted with the public's safety”. It is “a mindset or sub-culture which fosters a belief that the end sjustify the means, law enforcement is engaged in a mission to make our streets and communities safe and if that requires suspending the constitution or violating laws ourselves in order to accomplish our mission then for the greater good of society,so be it” (Steve Rothlien). Officers as well as other law enforcement officials are faced with ehtical dilemmas nearly everyday and have

Read More
743 Words | 3 Pages

Ethical challenges are of universal span; many people including police officers are confronted with the opportunities for violating organizational rules and norms daily. Most of the stories about police officers in the media, including Cops and Criminal Minds, are about respectable police officers, but the intense 2001 movie Training Day is not. Alonzo Harris, a veteran police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is training Jake Hoyt, a rookie officer on his first day with the narcotics unit. Harris’ character is an example of police officers’ potential for corruption. For instance, when Harris misuses the police authority and uses some fake arrest warrant seizing millions of dollars from a former LAPD veteran, now an informant

Read More
675 Words | 3 Pages

For my article I chose, “Decision Making in the Crime Commission Process: Comparing Rapist, Child Molesters, and Victim-Crossover Sex Offenders” by Eric Beauregard, Benoit Leclerc, and Patrick Lussier. In traditional beliefs it suggests sex offenders are mainly driven by an uncontrollable urge to sexually offend. This article takes a looks into comparing how rapist, child molesters, and victim-crossover sex offenders make their criminal decisions. It investigated how decision-making is involved in target selection. The researchers used mixed methods along with Clarke and Cornish’s decision-making model to evaluate the offender’s actions.

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

Working in the field of law enforcement and being ethically sound is important. It is important within our professional career that we are able to maintain a standard that doesn’t cross any ethical lines. Even in our academic we have to hold ourselves to an ethical standard, because we are trusted to do what is right. If we violate the academic integrity it put a mark on our ability to be trusted. Just as Dr. Steven Davis stated if someone is will to cheap to get ahead how can they be trusted

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
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
1279 Words | 6 Pages

Assignment #1 Review questions Chap. 1 p. 26: 1. A single standard of ethics cannot be applied to all criminal justice agencies. The world is too complex to legislate morality and ethics. The cultures that make up each part of the world are not the same.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

A law enforcement organization is an agency with an ethical system which must display their allegiance and integrity to the public. And the ethical system in policing context refers to the moral values that are generally accepted as professional standards in policing. According to the Encarta electronic dictionary, ethics can be explained as the study of proper standards and how they affect a system of moral values governing the suitable conduct for a person or group. To further understand the concept of ethics, ethics can be divided into two perspectives or theories, commonly known as deontological (non-consequentialism) and teleological (consequentialism). These two perspectives are important for a police officer to carry out their duties

Read More
1612 Words | 7 Pages

Ethical leaders As we see changes in the way of policing, ethical leadership and behavior is becoming more challenging for law enforcement officers. Police officers should be ethical leaders committed to the law and professional standards. Police officers with ethical leadership posses a philosophical moral foundation and his/her actions and decisions will be based on that; many officers may face challenges or difficulties while trying to adapt to the new way of policing, especially when working with unethical peers. With this being said there are specific characteristics in addition to strong ethical and moral values that can successful develop ethical leaders.

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

It is easy to learn about a subject from a book, but it is an entirely different matter to learn about a subject through real life experience. I hope to learn how to serve and protect while implementing the law correctly, especially in today’s world when the level of support for police officers is very low and the level of misconduct cases concerning the police are very high. It is not easy to know what to do in every situation, especially when some reactions are needed with very little or no time to think about. It is one thing to hear about a crime happening and the response that would be best to give, and another thing to need

Read More
797 Words | 4 Pages

While it can be interpreted as standing for ones beliefs, a police officer must uphold a high moral code in accordance to the society which is being served. The ethics to which police officers holds themselves, must include the character traits demonstrated in personal life, in addition to operating as public servants. If an officer is deemed untrustworthy at home, they cannot be trusted to work legally within the police department. Honesty within policing is just as important, where failing to admit a mistake can weaken a reputation and call previous cases into question. Although these traits can be trained into an individual, integrity must be developed personally before it can be applied

Read More
1399 Words | 6 Pages

However, as we discussed in class, there are so many situations where ethical decision-making occurs, and there are so many factors that influence why we do what we do. Because we work with a multitude people with interesting and diverse lives and backgrounds, and because we come in with our own baggage and experiences that influence how we act and react, we make split-second decisions all the time that can have profound effects on our work and our consumers. Having so many opportunities to look at my own actions, this particular assignment has been so rewarding and interesting for me. This is the first time in any of my assignments where I have been forced to look at how ethics is involved in our

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 Ethics In Criminal Justice: Ethical Decision Making Process

Related Topics

Open Document