Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense



Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense

Introduction

Truthfulness is the main quality of a police officer since everybody, either a judge, a citizen or even another police officer, involved in the criminal justice depends upon the police officer's integrity. Lying is the main cause of all evil deeds. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight (Proverbs 12:22 English Standard Version)”. During any investigation, both internal and external, ethics and integrity should be the main concerned issues. This paper will therefore investigate a case that came to my consideration, about an officer who is found guilty of inappropriate using of computer and of lying.

Case Background

I am the Chief of Police of a municipality; my Deputy Chief of Police informed me that one of the officers who were investigated was inappropriately using one of the computers in the patrol division. After an internal investigation, it was found that the officer used the computer to search for pornographic web sites. When he was confronted with the contention, he denied of having any knowledge on this incident. On further investigation, the computer crime analyst confirmed the fact that the officer log in password had been used to enter the unauthorized web sites. The officer confessed to the wrongdoing and affirmed that it would never happen any other time. This officer has been with my organization for 15 years, and the only disciplinary action that was taken against him had been for being involved in a traffic accident 10 years ago.

Discussion

The police officers' inappropriate use of the computer to browse sexually explicit information and material which are individual and irrelevant to the officials' job function is purely immoral. This can cause people's lives to be greatly affected and therefore a strict action should be taken as a symbol of warning to the rest of the officers. The departmental policy clearly states that the computers owned by the municipality should not be used for inappropriate and personal subjects. There is clearly no room in the law enforcement for such kind of deeds and the only way to keep the honor of the entire department is by dismissing the officer as a future warning against such dubious actions.

Inappropriate use of the computers can lead to drainage of the IT resources, and at the same time Pornographic sites are also infamous means of security risks, "for example" viruses. There are restrictions on the state employees as far as access to the information infrastructure is concerned. According to Code of Virginia (2.2-2827) “Except to the extent required in conjunction with a bonafide, agency-approved research project or other agency-approved undertaking, no agency employee shall utilize agency-owned or agency-leased computer equipment to access, download, print or store any information infrastructure files or services having sexually explicit content.”

Supreme Court Rulings

In this case, the police officer must to be terminated for his unreliable behavior and for his untruthfulness. The police officer is not fit for duty because of his fitness to ...