POLICE OFFICER CONDUCT UNBECOMING ETHICAL DILEMMAS

Police Officer Conduct Unbecoming Ethical Dilemmas



Police Officer Conduct Unbecoming Ethical Dilemmas

Introduction

Corruption, drug abuse, conduct unbecoming an officer--these are just a few of the dangerous and troubling situations that could challenge law enforcement professionals as they strive to meet their responsibilities in today's rapidly changing and highly intricate social environment. Unfortunately, just as the criminal activity law enforcement officers are sworn to combat grows more violent and sophisticated, clear ethical codes of conduct are not always stressed by today's police leadership. To be sure, many departments emphasize ethics and even offer special training in this area, but the modern temptations facing today's officers require a rededication to basic ethical behavior by both street officers and police managers.

Analysis

Ethical issues and values are most certainly not a new concern in law enforcement. However, they have never before been so publicized nor have the stakes involved been so high. As Patrick V. Murphy, former New York City Police Commissioner, notes, "Corruption, brutality, racial discrimination, improper political interference, unequal enforcement, bribery, and gratuities can appear to be commonplace. The cost of unethical conduct by police is high--an excess of preventable crime, a low level of respect for the police, and a loss of citizen cooperation on which police effectiveness depends." (James Bowman, 1988) Because aberrant police behavior results in shattered lives and an erosion of public confidence and support, ethical concerns in policing remain great. Officers and managers alike are expected to perform their duties in a wide variety of interpersonal situations where values and ethics are of tantamount importance. Functioning with minimal supervision and little time for reflection, they are required to make complex and crucial decisions, many of which are irrevocable, (Bruce Benson and Gilbert Skinner, 1988) during highly emotional, fast-moving, stressful situations. In time, values and ethics may denigrate, and the prolonged effects of this can be harmful and far-reaching. And because police officers continue to face ethical questions, administrators must positively impact on their ability to deal with these ethical entanglements (Barry Posner and Warren Schmidt, 1984).

Historical Perspective

In 1956, the National Conference of Police Associations, representing approximately 200,000 police officers, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police adopted the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Leaders in law enforcement, as well as rank-and-file officers throughout the Nation, offered their suggestions and participated in its formulation. This code of ethics offered solutions to many of the police officer's everyday problems (Harold, 1986). But times have changed, and according to various media sources, so have police officers, not so much with regard to their collective values, but to their faithfulness to those values. Many outside law enforcement view the police as having "doughnut shop ethics." As Bruce Benson and Gil Skinner wrote, "Police think nothing of accepting `harmless' gratuities--the free coffee, the half-price meals, `badging' their way into a movie." (Donald and Charles, 1983) Unfortunately, tomorrow (or is it today?) these same officers may think little of payoffs, ripoffs, and ...