Ethical Considerations in Police Work Research Paper

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Lead by Example

Field training officers do not merely instruct rookie officers in the technical protocols pertinent a job description: they also set the moral tone for the organization. When an officer acts unethically in front of a rookie, it places the rookie in an uncomfortable situation: he or she can go along with his or her commanding officer as he or she is supposed to -- and thus act unethically -- or he or she can be true to his or her convictions but then seem to be defying the dictates of the police force at an early, critical stage in his or her career. "The solidarity norm of police and corrections officer subculture constitutes fertile ground for officer wrongdoing" given the 'us vs. them' dynamic of officer culture (Jones & Carlson 2004: 99).

Interestingly, New York City was recently criticized for having over-zealous new officers staffing its 'stop and frisk' program: to curb their enthusiasm and to temper their enthusiasm (which has led to allegations of racial profiling and cavalier treatment of citizen's rights) the NYPD has created a new program "broadening the experience of new officers by putting them in precincts, radio cars and most importantly, creating a better ratio of seasoned veterans to rookies, will help continue their training beyond the academy" (Horan 2014).

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This is testimony to the NYPD belief in the need for existing officers to 'set the moral tone' for the organization.

Moral weakness-Moral courage

If an officer said something like "I'm not racing to that location there's nobody there but blacks-let someone else pick up the call" while I was still a rookie it would be very difficult to stand up to the officer in question, given I had no personal credibility as a new officer (Jones & Carlson 2004: 100). Only if a new officer had another, more experienced officer to act as a mentor whom he could rely upon to 'back him up' could he have the confidence to challenge the older officer's assertions. Ultimately, evidence of conflicts such as these should not be regarded as a moral failing of young officers but an institutional problem. This is reflected in a recent pilot program instituted by in Oregon: "Portland police have been awarded a nearly $50,000 federal grant to study how to train officers about institutional racism, create a more inclusive environment, increase diversity on the force and find a way to evaluate the bureau's progress" (Bernstein 2014). Reporting racism cannot be the sole responsibility of individual officers, particularly new ones......

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"Ethical Considerations In Police Work" (2014, June 18) Retrieved May 16, 2024, from
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