Download Ethics, Integrity, & Professionalism

Ethics and
Integrity
Dr. Laura B. Myers
Developer and Facilitator
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
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5 Goals for Exploring
Ethics
 Become
more aware and open to
moral and ethical issues.
 Begin developing critical thinking
and analytical skills.
 Become more personally
responsible.
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5 Goals for Exploring
Ethics
 Understand
how criminal justice is
engaged in a process of coercion.
 Develop wholesight.
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3 Contexts for Understanding
Justice, Crime and Ethics
 Personal
 Social
 Criminal
Justice
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What Is Ethics?
 Knowing
the difference
between right and wrong
 Deciding to do the right
thing under pressure
 Assume people are trying
to do their best
 Ethical issues are not
clear-cut
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The Slippery Slope
 Contingencies
 Moral
Experiences
 Apologia
 Stages
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The Resolution...
 Training
 Modeling
 Reinforcement
 Use
of reality
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Becoming a Police
Officer
 Choice
to become
a police officer.
 Introduction to
policing.
 Encountering the
reality.
 The
metamorphosis.
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The Reality of Law
Enforcement
 Discretion
 Low-visibility
discretionary
decision making
 Numerous laws,
rules, and policies
 Threats to safety
 Authority
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An Ethical Crisis
 Misuse
of funds
 Abuses of authority
 Winning at all costs
 Using people as a means to an end
 Making ourselves an exception
 Not recognizing an ethical trap
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More Examples
 Political
leaders
 Lawyers
 Law
enforcement
officers
 Clergy
 Medical doctors
 Others?
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The Integrity Image
 Role
models?
 Commitment
 Trust
 Karma
 Do these things exist in law
enforcement?
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Workplace Impact
 Decrease
in morale
 Breakdown in chain of
command
 Burn-out
 Grievances & lawsuits
 Loss of productivity
 Damage to image &
reputation
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Perceptions
 The
role of law
enforcement.
 Crime control
 Due process
 Public opinion
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Individual Impact
 Not
efficient
 An organizational liability
 Not a team player
 Damage to career
 Damage to future
 Unfit role model
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The Institutions that
Teach Values & Morals
 Family
 School
 Church
 Media
 Do
people recognize these
influences on their choices?
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An Ethical Population?
 Cheating
in school
 Cheating in sports
 Cheating in business
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Ethical Conflict
Resolution?
 The
Golden Rule
 Recognizing differences
 Recognizing human feelings
 Recognizing the sanctity of human
life
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Can We Improve?
 Is
it possible to teach people values
and morals?
 What if they already know what is
right and wrong?
 Need to teach people how to
recognize the trap of an ethical
dilemma
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Tools
People Can Use
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Remembering
Character
 What
is character?
 How can it be used in law
enforcement?
 Being conscious of character
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The Six Pillars of
Character
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[1] Trustworthiness
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Promise
keeping
 Loyalty
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[2] Respect
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[3] Responsibility
 Accountability
 Pursuit
of excellence
 Self-restraint
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[4] Justice and Fairness
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[5] Caring
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[6] Civic Virtue and
Citizenship
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Moral Development
 Premoral
Level
 Conventional Level
 Post-Conventional Level
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Character and
Decision-making
 The
greatest good
 Duty
 Karma
 Caring
 Being mindful
 That inner voice
 An Ethics Check
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An Ethics Check
 Is
it legal?
 Is it balanced?
 How will it make me feel about
myself?
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Inner Strength
 Living
by principles
 Acting consistently
 Striving to be fair
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The Five Principles
 Purpose
 Pride
 Patience
 Persistence
 Perspective
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Principles of a Morally
Good Person
 Just
 Truthful
 Trustworthy
 Moral
courage
 Moral autonomy
 Benevolence
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In the Workplace
 Application
of law
 Use of authority
 Due Process
 Meeting your goals…
 Humans have intrinsic value
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Pressures in the
Workplace
 Productivity
 Solving
a bad problem
during a crisis
 Doing your job
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Inner Strength
 Practice
 Seek
advice
 Realize this will not be easy
 Don’t take yourself for granted
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Outer Strength
 An
organizational value
 Walk the walk, talk the talk
 Training
 Modeling
 Discussion
 Nip it in the bud
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The Reality of Law
Enforcement Ethics
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THE END
Dr. Laura B. Myers
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas 77341
(409) 294-1654
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