Electronic Copy Of The Learner: Lachara S. Hill

Police officers are faced each day with a variety of situation in which they must deal; therefore we should ask ourselves the following questions: Should police officers enforce the law equally in all situations? In what situations should police officers be allowed to not enforce the law? What types of situations would they be required to fully enforce the law? Why does police discretion exist? What are its strengths and weaknesses? And what is the relationship between police discretion and police ethics?

Police officers have played a major role in society by protecting us from crime. Their responsibilities include not only preserving the peace, preventing criminal acts, enforcing the law, investigating crimes, and arresting those who violate the law but also directing traffic, community relations work, and controlling crowds at public events.

Taking personal responsibility and paying attention to detail are two very important character traits to have. It is important for civilians to demonstrate these traits but even more important for police officers and police recruits. Police officers and recruits should be held to a much higher standard than civilians because of the position they are in or will be in where they enforce the laws over civilians. They should be a role model for people to follow.

The criminal justice system is one of the most important components in the public service system. Since it is a system that citizens encounter daily it would be most beneficial for those who are employed to behave as ethical leaders. Leadership skills and ethical behavior are both parts of the duties of any officer serving the law. Often employees are placed in quick decision situations that can have fatal outcomes if not handled properly. By ensuring that all officers of the law have a set of functioning ethical leadership skills can not only develop a well-rounded individual, but also builds the relationship between the community they serve to protect. The police and other officers of the law have great discretion and power over an individual which makes having responsible, ethically behaving persons on the front lines even more important. With the right training and education, ethical officers can set the bar and improve the quality of life of the community they serve as well as other officers.

Throughout history, there has been very few careers that require such a high degree of an ethical standard such as the one required for law enforcement. There is, however, a multitude of careers that require the dedication and heart such as required for a police member. Where this dedication and heart differs relies solely on the difference in the job. Officers are required to be aware of their surroundings nearly all the time as if something were to happen they would be required to navigate through the situation successfully. Somebody such as a CEO for a multimillion dollar company would not require this same quality due to the fact it is not part of their job description and the only individual that he/she needs to be worried about is themselves. However, in today’s society, and with media being an ever growing aspect, some police officers have decided on their own personal way to handle justice. So unfortunately, this small percentage of police contract a huge amount of negative eyes to the profession. This small number of individuals bring a negative view to the police department as a whole and for this cause an issue in the public’s eye. Regardless of what many individuals believe, many of the police officers decide on the ethical side of the job and are hardworking professionals who seek out to just serve the public. However, being an African American male myself the main issue I have and want to combat is the punishment officers should face if

The Oath of Office is a legally binding vow or affirmation that enables Original Authority & discretion. It Provides guidance on what to do & how to do it, at a high level. It requires you to keep the peace, impartially to the best of your ability, and faithfully according to law (ADPP, Lesson 1.3, slide6). Original Authority as stated in the Oath of Office, came from common law giving police the right to make a decision on rationality rather than command or authority. Police discretion can be defined as to act according to your own judgement where ever your authority leaves you free to do so, and at the same time being responsible for your own actions (ADPP, Lesson 1.3, slide6). The responsible use of power through discretion can also be displayed by liaising with the community on matters that are important to them. Birch (2011) and article 19 from The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, both recognise that to maintain peace, the members of the community need to be given their right to express their opinions and ideas on how society and the police enforce and uphold the standards upon one another. Therefore signifying the Rule of Law. By knowing what the community expectations are, the governing party is able to develop and introduce Act’s to meet the societies expectations. This is seen in the Mission and

Police officers are trained to read, write and analyze numbers. They are also trained how to handle firearms, identify non-lethal weapons, use defensive tactics effective, conduct search and seizure, driving techniques, investigate criminal acts and the laws of arrest, but how many police take a course on ethical conduct or learn the meaning of sworn oath? Some police officer feel ethics is not important and training is of low – priority. Law enforcement officers take oaths creates an ethical landmine. Officers have to weigh their personal values against colleague demands that may develop a hostile environment and cause ethical issues to flourish. When police officers demonstrate unethical practices, negative issues occur. Corruption scandals are painful reminders that officers need more

Police officers shall conduct themselves with integrity and moral values, whether on or off duty, in accordance with the Constitution of the United States.

As a police officer, the major objectives are to maintain order, enforce the law, protect one’s property, and to save lives. In addition, police are divided into two roles based on how they perform their duties. The two roles of a police officer are a public servant and a crime fighter. A police officer whose role as a public servant is to serve all types of people, as well as criminals. Public servants regularly provide advice and make judgments as to the degree of risk they should take with the public. Many decisions involving risk are relatively easy to make, but others are complex and significant consequences (Kernaghan and Langford, 2016). These risks may involve using force and the consequences could be media backlash or a potential termination. Public servants abide by the oath and uphold the integrity and honor of the organization as an officer. Also, public servant officers like to play it safe because they like to be known as ordinary citizens who like to go home to their

An important objective of the police officers, is to protect and serve the community and the best way to do that is to enforce ethics. According to the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, there are four different dilemmas, “discretion (legality), duty (service), honesty, and loyalty” (Pollock). When an officer has been taught these different ethics and is able to use each one of them when deciding to pull their gun out and shoot or beat a suspect after they stopped resisting, this incorporates a better relationship between the officers and the community. In the police academy, the recruits are taught these different dilemmas as a foundation so that when they are put into a particular situation they can make the best decision on how to handle the

Becoming a police officer is not just a choice one makes, but in actuality a life decision. Officers must make sure they follow morals as well as the code of ethics. No matter if you’re an officer that patrols the city streets night after night, or an officer patrolling school grounds or malls, you’re still important. Everyone feels a sense of comfort when they know they are safe.

Police sub-cultures can undermine an agencies code of ethics because it is considered as a blue wall between police officers staying loyal to each other. Their actions are often form when police officers have been working with each other for an extended period. Although it does not affect the code of ethics within the department, but it can affect their ethical behavior. New recruits are told while training in the police academy that a leader does not show emotions. Researchers stated that police officers feel that they are required to be tough on all situations and are forbidden to encourage their fellow officers to talk about each other problems (Malmin, 2012). Supervisors are not aware that their fellow police officers are human beings and

What makes a law officer a trustworthy person? When a law enforcement officer makes a choice based on ethics, the root of the intent reflects the character of the officer. Had their intent been based out of being a good person? Or was it an attention-getting deviant who was trying to make up to the commanding officer for an inappropriate act. The reasoning will reflect a person for their true ethical character in its entirety. The reasons a person becomes a law enforcement office should come from a good place with good intention. As we speak, there has been an abundance of media about some officers acting out of poor ethics. For these reasons, the American communities are turning into skeptics. Would this be justified? Is this hypocrisy?

What they do or fail to do can affect seriously the span of the damage to life, property, and community spirit. Police officers are required to take an oath when they first join their department. The police oath is a code of ethics. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics establishes the basic responsibility of a police officer is and I quote: “As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality and justice. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession…law enforcement.” These are the expectations of the citizens, and when they are abused it threatens the faith of all. The most recent case raising unethical questions may be the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, an unarmed black male shot down by police officers. Another reason might be the rise in reports of suspicious deaths of inmates in custody making headlines across the country. These type of situations bring up difficult questions regarding the limits of police authority, are there some inequalities in the way that law enforcement officers treat certain racial, socioeconomic, or cultural groups? Are the factors, such as whether a citizen is ethnic or white, poor or Middle class, making a difference in the type of treatment one is likely to receive from the

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