, that good ends justify bad means in a utilitarian fashion. "Utilitarianism is generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good" (Driver 2010)
The natural instinct is to protect one's fellow officers and the education instilled by the police force bolsters rather than circumvents this point-of-view. Secondly, the largely masculine culture of the police force discourages talking about negative incidents in a critical fashion (Jones & Carlson 200484)
Ethics Standards in Policing When policing came to the United States, there was little concern among police officers about adhering to legal norms, despite their formal policing role as enforcers of the law; in fact, police received little training in law, and most of those arrested were tried before justices who also had little legal training. Police were part of the larger political system, seen as a resource at the command of local political organizations (Banks)
However, as the field became more developed and the police's role in society became more defined the expectations of the police officer have grown by leaps and bounds. Police departments the world over face no greater challenge each day than fostering humane and ethical policing which puts the common good at the center of all that they do, while scrupulously protecting the dignity of even the most despised persons; yet far too often police departments ignore the human dimension at policing's core, finding it easier, especially of late, to focus on technologies and measurements of what they do, instead of how they do it (O'Donnell)
38). The search for the best candidates for police officer positions can be facilitated through the use of screening tools such as background checks, polygraph examinations, psychological tests, personal interviews and assessment scenarios (Moll, 2007)
Because ethical dilemmas span the entire range of the human condition and there are countless opportunities for ethical missteps, police officers may need some formal training to help them make ethical decisions. In this regard, Owens and Pfeifer add that, "It is clear that a broad and deep understanding of ethical decision making, not simply the letter of the law, is a vital component of police training as with other professions" (Owens & Pfeifer, 2003, p
His job is to enforce the law, which will require certain risks. Ignoring, a speak-easy on his beat is corrupt in its own right, as Malone is essentially transferring the risk of his own injury or death onto the next police officer who may have to deal with the situation (Fuller, 2001)
"One of the traditional explanations for police unethical behavior has been that police-citizen confrontational encounters occur alone and unobserved -- under a cloud of secrecy." (Barker, 2011, p
"Every week, it seems, video taken by citizens using a handheld camera, smartphone, or some other device goes "viral" online, flooding the internet with examples of police brutality or some other form of misbehavior." (Gaines, 151) It seems perfectly normal for policemen today to assume that almost every action they perform is being recorded
A Rialto police department has conducted an experiment involving police officers using miniature cameras in order to document their experiences. "The experiment was designed to find out if police wearing video cameras would reduce use of force in police encounters and also reduce citizen complaints"(Steinberg, 2013) The experiment generated results showing that individuals without cameras were twice more likely to go through episodes involving use-of-force in comparison to individuals who wore cameras
Similarly, executives in police departments have been frustrated with the time it takes to conclude investigations of police misconduct. This frustration is further aggravated by the rate at which their decisions are altered and revised by arbitrators, civil services boards and grievance panels involved in the investigation (Baca, 2007)
If their ranks are susceptible to corruption, then it must follow that the society which they police, serve and protect is likely to be just as corrupted. Researchers and academics agree that it is imperative that a solution be found that can better address the problem of police ethics (Barker, 2011)
The purpose of ethics is to conform action to ideal. But it often happens that ethical systems need an enforcement policy of their own (Braswell, McCarthy, McCarthy, 2012)
Police Ethics Ethics, therefore, is not something that a policeman learns in the classroom -- yet, training classes are regularly scheduled -- and this picture of student not understanding why he is in the classroom is indicative of the problem of police ethics as a whole (Crank, Caldero, 2011)
The problem of inconsistency, while not addressed specifically by the interviewee, does relate: police officers who work in high risk areas tend to receive more complaints than their counterparts, the reason being obvious that these officers are more prone to face situations where the use of force might be required by law and for self-defense. However, investigative focus is on whether the use of force was under the legal boundaries (Curry, 2004)
Ellis (1987) shows that police corruption in Canada might be not as prevalent and widespread as in the neighboring USA but still there have been significant incidences in the police department that warrant a call from disciplinary commission. The problem is fourfold and can be summarized thus: 1) it is a constant activity rather than something isolated; 2) senior officers evade investigating reports of misconduct; 3) officers on duty justify their misconduct by referring to their "good intentions"; 4) illegal police activity is prevalent across Canada (Ellis, 1987)
The majority of the police officers state that the concept of punishment is to prevent future misconduct and secondly that it sends a warning signals to the rest of the force that such misconduct will not be tolerated. This is problematic because punishment alone might bring resentment and anger in the officer and such an attitude is not good for the police department (Hunt, 2009)
But it often happens that ethical systems need an enforcement policy of their own (Braswell, McCarthy, McCarthy, 2012). Police disciplinary procedures have been a source of disappointment for individuals who have been involved in the process and are concerned with its consequences (Westmarland, 2005)
Police and Society: Interactions between police and the rest of the community are integral in the functionality of that society. If there is no faith that the police are working for the betterment and protection of the general population, then the population will not go to the police for aid when there is trouble (Gallagher 2001)
Police Brutality: The issue of police brutality has severely undermined the faith people have in the American police force. A simple investigation into public opinion shows that a majority of the citizenry feel antagonistic or distrustful of police (Geller & Toch, 1996)