Download The Development of Modern Policing

Ethics
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The reasoned study of the moral facet of human
conduct.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Professional Ethics
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The application of ethical principles and concepts to
moral issues that may arise in professional life.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Morality
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Refers to the rules and social mores (standards) that
we are taught to follow.
Ethics, then, can be seen as an opportunity for the
thoughtful questioning of those rules and mores.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Ethical Principles
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General guidelines for ethical behavior; statements of
how people should act under normal circumstances.
– Examples:
• "People should treat others as they would want
to be treated themselves”
• "People should respect the rights of others.”
• "People should be honest.”
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Ethical Values
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Refers to ethical "ideals," such as honesty, generosity,
integrity, courage, kindness, altruism, etc.
People often use values as a basis for the concept of
"goodness.”
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Ethical Issues
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Situations or actions that have moral implications.
Topics that raise honest ethical debate.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Integrity
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The character trait of living consistently with personal
ethical principles that others would consider
commendable.
(Thus, living consistently with reprehensible ethical
principles would not be considered as demonstrating
integrity.)
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Character
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The totality of one's personal ethical identity; the
combination or sum of one's ethical strengths and
weaknesses.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Profession
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"Moral education is the most important task of the
common school." (Horace Mann)
An occupation whose members possess a specialized
body of knowledge acquired through advanced
education or training, and whose members choose to
hold themselves and their colleagues to higher
standards of ethics than those normally held by other
members of society.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Code of Ethics
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A written set of principles and rules intended to serve
as a guideline for determining appropriate ethical
behavior for those individuals under its authority.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Conflict of Interest
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A particular kind of ethical issue or problem common
in professional life.
Conflicts of interest occur when an individual who has
promised or committed to act in the best interests of
another person or group, violates that promise and acts
in his or her own self-interest instead.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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Conflict of Interest
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Examples could include police officers accepting
bribes to ignore illegal activity, politicians accepting
gifts in exchange for political influence, accountants
stealing money from clients' accounts, etc.
Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement
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