Ethical Issues in the Criminal Justice Field (Untruthfullness) - Article Example

s; stealing money and/or drugs from drug dealers; selling stolen drugs; protecting drug operations; providing false testimony; and submitting false crime reports” (General Accounting Office, 1998: 8). Between 1993 and 1997, at least half of the law-enforcement personnel convicted of corruption offenses while on duty were led to their actions through drug-related activities. In addition, more than 100 drug-related cases involving police officers are prosecuted within the country every year.

Another indication of the widespread problem is found in the fact that all of the nation’s federal drug enforcement agencies have had at least one of its agents implicated in a drug-related offense. Throughout the country, officers have capitulated to the same temptations and potential rewards of the drug market that attracts their criminal counterparts. The ethical cost of this corruption has far-reaching repercussions not only within our law enforcement units, but also in our conception of society itself.

It seems the causes of police corruption would be fairly easy to explain given the tremendous rewards associated with the drug trade. The financial rewards offered by the sales of illegal drugs in relation to other forms of income are enormous. This temptation comes on top of an increasing sense of frustration among law enforcement officers realizing the futility of their efforts as the number of drug traffickers continues to grow. This is also exacerbated by a society that has come to value material wealth much more than personal integrity or honorable behavior.

The War on Drugs has been officially declared for 30 years now, resulting in the incarceration and prosecution of millions of people, but there has been no discernable positive effect. Drugs are now more available, cheaper and often more potent than ever before. Disheartened police officers often put their lives in jeopardy daily to fight against drugs, but must also deal with being under-paid and