Ethics in the Police Service - Assignment Example

?Running Head: ETHICS IN THE POLICE Ethics in the Police Service School Ethics in the Police Service Law enforcer, cop, crime fighter, constable, peace officer, sheriff, detective, patrolman, Jake, and the good guys—these are just some names that people all over the world use to refer to policemen whose job is to ensure peach and order in their jurisdiction. With the nature of the job of law enforcers, they are entitled to the respect that the people in the community can give. However, while some officers gain the trust of the public, many others are treated with disrespect and are suffering from blasphemous names such as bacon, barney, betsi, boeuf, bofices, chickens, and other unimaginable names that refer to a corrupt individual or a capricious animal. Indeed, there are a lot more negative notions about law enforcers than good ones. In this regard, this paper deals with the way police officers view their profession and the ethics required in their job. Interviews with two law enforcers were done to achieve the goal of the study. Purposively, one female and one male officer were interviewed to investigate any gender disparity in views about the profession. The interview conducted involved a male and a female officer from Texas, but these two officers do not know each other and each was not informed of the identity of the other interviewee. They preferred not to have their names mentioned to preserve the confidentiality of their views. Both officers are in their middle ages; the male officer is 38 years old and has served for seven years, whereas the female officer is already 42, and has served for 11 years. Both officers expressed devotion to their sworn profession. The interview was conducted online via Skype, thus ensuring a relaxed and free atmosphere with the interviewees situated at the comfort of their homes. However, there were some limitations due to the lack of personal contact of the interviewer with the two law enforcers. To note, the interviewer was not able to note down gestures and facial expressions to fully grasp the sincerity of the interviewees. Nevertheless, the eagerness of the interviewees in answering the questions helped a lot to achieve the primary goals of the interview. The interviewees responded to the following main questions: 1. Why are ethics and character so important in the field of law enforcement? 2. Do you feel that police are more ethical today, or were they more ethical ten years ago? 3. Why do police officers become involved in misconduct? 4. Do you feel that there is enough training offered in ethics at the police academy level? If not, why is that? .Should ethics training be offered as an on-going process for law enforcement officers? 6. Do you feel that education and/or training in ethics would reduce incidents of police corruption? In addition to the questions provided above, some follow up questions were asked to help clarify thoughts of the respondents. Such questions are labeled as FQs. The responses of the male interviewee are labeled as Respondent 1 (R1), and the responses of the female interviewee are labeled as Respondent 2 (R2) .The interview with the respondents lasted for less than 15 minutes each, and the recorded answers were transcribed in this paper. Q1. Why are ethics and character so important in the field of law enforcement? R1: ethics and character are very important in our profession. We, law officers, follow some ethics and rules like any other citizen but we are more obliged to show others what’s right and what’s wrong, we serve as role models. Part of the requirements in being police is to be a good citizen of this country, respect the law, show concern for the people, and always bring pride to that uniform you’re wearing each day. R2: Ethics and character are basic requirements in being police officers to ensure that they can be trusted to serve the people without self-interest and greed. An aspiring police officer needs to possess desirable character and traits that are aligned to the code of ethics and mission of the police. Without proper character, one should not wish to become a police officer because he will only end up giving a negative image to the police, which is very bad for those who serve the country truthfully. There are some police officers who seem to have forgotten their mission and don’t put public interest in their priority. Yet there are many who serve as role models until they retire from the service. 2. Do you feel that police are more ethical today, or were they more ethical ten years ago? R1: I believe that policemen are more ethical ten years ago because times have been more difficult nowadays. This recession is killing us and has pushed men both in uniform and civilians to do bad things that ruin our image. FQ: Did you mean that policemen make money from the corrupt practices they do and that is because of the low income they are receiving? R1: Yeah, it’s becoming a habit for some to complain about low compensation, but if they will look into the bright side of it, if they will focus on what they are doing for this country, they will feel great and will realize that the smiles of the people, the protection they give is more than the pay that a CEO is receiving each year and even double that. R2: It’s difficult to judge whether they are more ethical today than several years ago. I think there isn’t any specific record that would say yes they are more ethical now or shadier than before. Whether we like it or not, we have to admit that the police department is composed of the good and bad, and it’s always been like that. The thing is, there are reasons for doing things; of course we shouldn’t rationalize that the evil things that some officers do are justifiable but let us not be too judgmental because we don’t know what really happens, why things are happening the way they are unless we would investigate on the real cause of the crime. With the way things are going now, there must be something wrong with the present system and that should be changed in order to clean the slate of police officers who are sacrificing for the good of the common people. FQ: Can you specify what you think is a big problem in the service level in terms of police ethics? R2: One thing that I can consider a problem is the lack of strong leadership among officers. The new generation of policemen are looking for a role model, someone they can look up to, a model of strength and character in the local level, not those we see on TV and headlines and all that but someone who’s real, a father, a teacher, a mentor who has been recognized by his peers or the people in the local community. 3. Why do police officers become involved in misconduct? R1: As I have said, there are those compelled to do wrong because of the crisis but that should not be an excuse for neglecting one’s duty to the people. Some officers are made to do things they don’t want because that is the flow in the department. More often, they are either following orders or are having difficulty going against superiors. The truth is, it is more difficult to deal with one’s superiors than to do your job in the streets because there are times when you don’t totally agree with your superiors and you can’t do anything about that. If you don’t want to be in trouble, you must learn to swallow your pride and keep mum on some things. If the problem is not too serious and won’t affect much of the people you serve, it’s better to let things go their way and keep on with whatever good you’re doing. R2: Some would claim that police do things against the law because of the low income and poor benefits but for me that is not really the reason. Some police officers become involved in misconduct because they need to keep good rapport with others. You see, being a police officer does not only entail doing your assignment; it also involves getting along well with others, especially your team. There are some who are trapped in a team of cops who practice some wrongdoings. In many cases, if the police cannot swallow up everything he sees, he would likely resort to agreeing with the others, which means engaging with the misconduct either directly or indirectly. 4. Do you feel that there is enough training offered in ethics at the police academy level? If not, why is that? R1: I think there is enough training, the problems is policemen don’t always follow what they know. R2: There is enough training in the academy level but with the way things are going, maybe we should try to look into what’s missing and what should be done in order to improve the system and the values of the people. 5. Should ethics training be offered as an on-going process for law enforcement officers? R1: Yeah. Ethics should be given emphasis even in the professional setting. Law enforcers should always be reminded of their responsibility and proper decorum in and out of their post. Training should include not just the lower levels but the higher ups, those who are more exposed to corruption, those who tend to abuse their power to remind them that they are supposed to serve and not to be served. R2: Definitely. Ethics training should not just end up in the schools. There should be follow up even in the service level. That (ethics training) will serve to remind the police that what they swore into was actually a responsibility they have to fulfill, a form of commitment to the people. In addition, I think that the local government has a big participation in emphasizing ethics among police. It should have programs to emphasize the importance of ethics and good service. FQ: Can you give examples of programs you can think of to enhance the level of ethics in the service? R2: I think that giving awards or tokens of appreciation is a big, big par of heightening ethics in the local level. I feel that the police are not given much appreciation they deserve. Instead, they are usually made fun of, even ruined and viewed negatively by media. 6. Do you feel that education and/or training in ethics would reduce incidents of police corruption? R1: Yeah, training, seminars, and other professional meetings will help reduce corruption in the police department. I also believe that workshops with those in the training or academy level will inspire police in the professional scene to be at their best not just on-cam or in the presence of by-standers but likewise when the public eye is not there to note down behaviors of police officers. R2: That may not eliminate the problem but it will lessen the chances of corruption. You see, you cannot easily impose ethics on anyone. It has to be innate, something that the person possesses before applying for a position in the service. Attitudes and behaviors of young people may be changed but that doesn’t happen overnight so before guys enter the police force, they should be carefully examined and background checked to determine if they are fit not only physically but morally and behaviorally. Once they are in the service, the trainings will serve as role-playing scenarios to remind law enforcement officers of the importance of ethics in their profession. There is a big possibility that law enforcers would forget or feel lukewarm about ethical concerns but with follow up trainings, they will have a venue to express themselves to clarify any ambiguity they feel, strengthen camaraderie and identify possible approaches to address problems creatively. Policemen, especially newbies, will greatly benefit from those trainings. Senior officers can also take advantage of updates and be exposed to new scenarios that could guide them further to serve with all their efforts. The interviews conducted provide insights into the professional scene. Importantly, several insights can be gained from the responses of the two interviewees there is no notable difference in the way police officers view ethics and its relevance in the profession, but there is some disparity in the depth of sharing, which could be traced in the experience gained by the interviewees. The female officer, having served for 11 years, has given some significant propositions to improve awareness and valuing of ethics in the practice. Some of these insights include: 1. There is enough ethics training in the academy but there is still a notable problem in the professional scenario. 2. One of the problems that need to be addressed is the lack of appreciation for the service that the police are rendering. 3. Although there is not enough evidence that the low level of ethics is due to the low income that the police are receiving, the issue about compensation undeniably exists up to this time. Reflections: Being in the police force entails a number of challenges. Getting into the uniform and going out to run after the bad guys is already a tough job that not all individuals can do, thus being a law enforcement officer is definitely not an easy profession. To note, the expectation of the public in terms of character and ethics is a challenge to every police officer, young and old alike. Indeed, every police aspirant should undergo in-depth training on ethics and character before becoming a police officer. However, as De Lattre (2011) suggests, ethics and character cannot be learned easily, hence every police should undergo adequate and continuous training to become an officer. Likewise, as the female respondent proposes, careful scrutiny of applicants’ attitude and background should be done before gaining acceptance into the police service. Importantly, the two interviewees confirm that there is enough ethics training in the academy but there is still a notable problem in the professional scenario. This only shows that ethics involves not only the lessons learned in the academy but in life, in one’s culture, and community. As De Lattre (2011) believes, even one’s conscience is not a guarantee to arriving at the correct decision in exercising police right and justice. “Conscience should be supported by good reasons” (De Lattre, 2011, p.338). In his book, Character and Cops, De Lattre explain that part of ethics in the police profession is to rid of biases to race, culture, and other factors that can impede giving a fair treatment. Cops should be careful not to treat anyone they serve with biases, thus as the two respondents propose, continued ethics training in the professional scene, even for the senior officers should be provided. These trainings would serve as to update their knowledge and would somehow help them further develop globally acceptable world views and ideals. What may be acceptable ten years ago may not be acceptable today, thus continuous trainings will point down important reminders that could bring about change even in police behavior. Another idea that can be learned from the interview is that one of the problems that need to be addressed is the lack of appreciation for the service that the police personnel are rendering. As De Lattre (2011) notes, the police is endowed with the spirit of service and each law enforcer should take it a vocation to be in the service. In accordance to this, police officers should not expect to be rewarded for the good things they do. However, simple signs of appreciation for the heroism they do everyday would renew the spirit of service in every police officer. Plaques of appreciation or other signs of gratefulness will enliven their commitment and inspire others to do the same, thus promoting good ethics and character at the same time. Monetary bonuses may help reduce corruption, but such will not inspire officers for long. Rather, the smiles, the appreciation, and the awards that the police officers can get would serve as everyday motivators. As the female respondent proposes, the local community should be sensitive to this need, and provide more ways to appreciate the people who serve in the community not just those in the police service but likewise those who help make our communities clean and healthy. Moreover, the respondents also impart that although there is not enough evidence that corruption is due to the low income that the police are receiving, the issue about compensation undeniably exists up to this time. De Lattre reveals that although there is unequal compensation in the police field, not all police are receiving low compensation. In the interview, the officers suggested that low compensation may be a factor to corruption in the police area. As such, the government should look into this issue with care, and not just adjust the income of our police officers currently in service but also consider other benefits that our police personnel deserve. The interviews conducted provide real-life knowledge on the current situation of our police officers. In particular, one can note that law enforcers are aware of the problems in the local scenario but they do not have the power to change everything. In this consideration, strong leadership is necessary to introduce change and to eradicate corruption. In addition, showing of appreciation should also be given consideration because such can bring about enormous change in behavior. Furthermore, biases against police personnel should be avoided from now on. The negative connotation that has been coined with the police for generations may be rid by giving them a decent income and a well-respected position in the community. As for this consideration, the state should exert efforts to renew the character of our police officers. In particular, at the family level, parents should do their part in teaching their kids proper ethics, which goes away with prejudice on race, gender, and other discriminatory factors. Likewise, schools and other education institutions should strengthen the character of our youth towards doing what is right based on the golden rule. Moreover, the local officials should serve as role models to our new and aspiring police personnel to ensure commitment to the profession despite problems that may arise in terms of compensation and failure in achieving good leadership. Reference De Lattre, E. & Bores, D. (2011). Character and cops: Ethics in policing. Washington D.C.: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing. Read More