Furthermore, Police Officers are held to higher standards than others employed in public service because they alone have the power to limit individual freedom. Another effort to increase legitimacy with the citizens of Dallas is the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the Canons of Police Ethics that provides officers with a philosophical en ethical basis for the Dallas Police Department rules and regulations. The provisions of the Code of Conduct shall be observed by all members of the Department in order to maintain the confidence, respect, and support of the public. Police Legitimacy reflects on how the public perceives officers and what they can do to improve or erode those perceptions. In the city of Dallas, there is about one patrol officer for every thousand citizens, as a result, the impact that every single Dallas Police Officers makes on the citizens that we served represent the Police Department in general.
1. How does procedural law (the rules by which police must interact with citizens) play a role in keeping police officers ethically sound? According to the book “procedural law is a very important part of the criminal justice process because it specifies how people accused of crimes will be treated.” This law ensures and prevent officers from trying to falsify information on their reports and to make sure all information on the report is accurate as to how it did really happen during the crime or incident.
Ethics are important in the criminal justice since they provide
The New York City Police Department located in New York, New York. The acronym that is associated with the police department is N.Y.P.D. The Code of Ethics the N.Y.P.D has laid out for upcoming and current police officers is easy to comprehend and to be never forgotten. The sole purpose of the city police department is to prioritize the meaning of life while enforcing the laws set forth for people to follow. That is their mission summed up.
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.
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.
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
Law enforcement code of ethics (Bohm and Haley, 2011) are set in place because law enforcement officers are to be held to higher standards and accountable for their actions in a more public manner. Officer code of ethics number six (Bohm and Haley ,2011) states that officers in their private Lives in such a way that citizens will view them as a model of stability, fidelity and morality. This code in particular is important because officers of the law are held to a higher standard And are to be role models for everyone. If they are allowed to be untruthful, deceiving and of bad character this will taint perception of the department.
However, both concepts might play a role in either situation. Some individuals question whether or not “ethics” should play a big part in law enforcement. Ethics should play a part in professional standards of conduct because it sets a standard for how individuals should behave. It is very important for police officers and any other individual in the law enforcement field to properly abide by ethical standards.
Based on the ethical dilemma within my organization, the teleological theory incorporated to the choice of closing cases with negative or positive findings based on the allegation(s) specified to the investigators would make the investigator happy and administration happy. In this case, the ends justifies the means where the outcome of actually closing the cases and meeting “expectations” excuses any wrongs committed to attain it. The wrong that is being done in this scenario would be that law enforcement would close a blind eye to any other fraudulent activities that may be nexus to the case but not the fraudulent crime committed. However, the happiness of the individual depends on the individual investigator or individual public administrator’s ethics and values. In terms of public administration’s goals a whole, the happiness of meeting expectations would certainly not meeting the expectations of the law enforcement code of ethics.
After reviewing the Law Enforcement Officer Code of Ethics in my opinion all ten items listed are important when it pertains to policing the community and working with different individuals within the community. The first Canons that seems important to me is number one. The code of ethics states that the main responsibility of the police officers is the protection of the citizens by upholding the law and respecting everyone because no one wants to feel less than compared to others. The second Canon that is important is number two, it states that "police officers are responsible for being familiar with the law and not only their responsibilities but also those of other public officials" (Bohm & Haley, 2014, p. 200). The police should always
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
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
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
‘’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.
