Ethics in Policing Administration

 

Ethics in Policing Administration

Abstract

The article critique talks about two peer-reviewed articles concerning ethics in policing administration—the two articles debate about the importance of identifying corruption along with ethical breaches within a police department. The articles also discuss various ways in which corruption and breaches of ethics can be controlled. In the process, this study relays on practices that can improve the techniques used by agencies while analyzing their procedures to better align with ethics and offer the best services to the public. Notably, these articles are entitled to various strengths and weaknesses, both discussed in the paper’s content. Last but not least, this paper will outline the efficiency of the articles together with a personal reflection, followed by a discussion of how they link with the author’s biblical worldview.

Ethics in Policing Administration

The term “Ethics” describes the moral principles that govern the behaviors of an individual. At its simplest, ethics refers to a system of moral principles concerned with what is good for people and society, meaning doing what rights (Souryal, & Whitehead, 2019). Basically, the term is employed in all working environments, a place in which all employees are expected to perform their duties ethically. Ethics in policing administration is of great importance. In policing, ethics are described as a system of moral values that are generally accepted as professional standards. In this case, they include values like honesty, courage, allegiance, and loyalty. Looking from a human resources perspective, police administration is all about making ethical and lawful decisions, all in which are related to the hiring, retention management, discipline, and termination of law enforcement personnel with all requiring internal and external accountability. Police units are among the few professions holding as much authority that are visible in the public eyes. As a matter of fact, the public holds police officers to higher standards because they expect them to serve and protect the community and not their desires. Having strong ethics is of much significance. For this reason, this paper discusses ethics in policing administration in detail from two of the current peer-reviewed articles.

Article I-Background

The article “The police ethics and integrity” discusses several constraints for measuring police unit ethics and integrity. The Article covers more about the importance of integrity and ethics in all police departments levels and the differences between officers as an individual in a unit. It also notes factors such as whether a new code can overturn the blue code, why some police misdemeanor seems to be more likely to be reported, and the potential efforts of a newly presented official code of ethics.  The Article also examines police officer perspectives on the significance of the blue code of silence to determine whether it can cover-up corruption, thereby stopping officers from correcting their co-workers’ misconduct. It likens replies from officers in various units, looking at potentially unethical conduct defined in various scenarios. The author references the paper from Shockey-Eckles (2011), which clearly shows that police officers are very reluctant to Blow the whistle on their colleagues, displaying opposition to answering even those hypothetical questions concerning corruption.

Article 1- Critique of strengths and weaknesses

Strengths-

The Article is characterized by a variety of steady strengths, one of them being that it discusses the subculture within the police departments and their services. Another strength is that it uses scenario-based surveys to elicit views regarding the significance of definite police actions and to question whether an officer would report his/her colleague misdemeanors. To clarify the effectiveness of the information provided, one of the article authors has developed a previous survey similar to a particular on that was conducted in 2005. The study has inspected a more extensive and diverse sample of serving officers by comparing the responses from different police forces all through the republic with differing physiognomies in terms of rurality and policing priorities.

Weaknesses- 

While this Article compromises many strengths, it also has weaknesses. One weakness is that it discusses all the police forces without specifying which unit is more influenced by this corrupt behavior. Another weakness is that the authors focus much on showing ethics as an act of doing the right thing forgetting to discuss the importance of leadership ethics in policing. The study should at least encourage law enforcement agencies to create strong ethical leaders to lessen immoral manners among officers.

Article-2 Background

The article “Ethics and Misconduct in police department” covers police ethics and decision-making as matters of concern to police leaders and academic scholars. Basically, while the preceding studies are focusing on police officers’ perceptions, this Article has concentrated on young people’s insights regarding ethical decision-making by police. Its goal is to capture these perceptions from a group of university scholars majoring in criminal justice. In this Article, students from an undergraduate criminal justice program are surveyed to determine their attitude toward several ethical components of forces work, including the prevalence of misdemeanors and the influence of university education on moral decision-making. It also explores the effects of misbehavior, and immoral does on public ties and rapport with residents. Policy implications are also debated in this Article.

 

 

 

Article 2 -Critique of Strengths and Weaknesses of the Article.

Strengths;

 The Article takes the position determined to eradicate police misconducts act, claiming that this conduct seems to be a natural spinoff of routine police practice. It discusses the importance of police executives understanding the various factors that foster misconduct among police officers. Another strength of this Article is that its discussion focuses much on the characteristic of integrity in an individual, presenting the probable negative effect on a police officer’s integrity. Last but not least, it presents a diversity of theories to clarify unprincipled decision making with an aim to help understand why individual honesty may decline while employed as an officer.

Weaknesses

On the weakness side, the Article is focused more on police ethics and decision making as issues of concern to leaders in the police unit and academic scholar, forgetting about the general public. Also, though it discusses policy implications, the Article is highly concerned and directed to scholars of criminal justice rather than the entire society.

Critique questions

1. What might an ethical organization look like?

Notably, ethical organizations are standard in the public where they encourage and reward employee volunteerism and often contribute money and resources to enrich life quality in public. However, a better ethical organization should have a certain look. Based on the critiques provide earlier, the organization should have elements such as integrity and should be obsessed with fairness. Also, show respect for the environment, communities, and people over profits to avoid misconduct behaviors.

2. characteristics of training, leadership, and employees that might be expected in an ethical police organization.

Like any other profession, police professionalism also has its characteristics for training, leadership, and employees.  In generals, the key qualities include honesty, integrity, and ethics (Hay, 2020). As personnel for law enforcement, officers must commit to certain principles and values and use them to guide their actions. It is better to note that police officers are expected to have a strong sense of ethics. They are entrusted with maintaining law and order and as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Some of the most important characteristics expected in ethical police organizations as the community role models include honesty and trustworthiness.

3. biblical themes in the presentation titled: “Police (Part 1)”

Notably, the great biblical themes are all about God. This includes His revealed work of creation, deliverance, covenant, judgment, provision, and promises. The presentation titled “Police (Part 1)” shows some of these biblical themes. One of these themes comes from the scripture that blessed are the peacemakers as they will be called God’s sons. Another one is about judgement, the scripture warms against favoring the rich with claims that law powerful law enforcement must brace integrity, value, and royalty. The scripture is accompanied by a promise that whoever will walk in integrity will be delivered, but who is crooked in his way will suddenly fall.

4. Challenges associated with organizations that are replete with corruption like racism and discrimination from a Christian and biblical worldview.

When an organization becomes rampant with corruption, especially those from a Christian and Biblical worldview such as racism and discrimination, it faces various challenges. Some of these challenges include the rise of inequality and populism, where some of the members consider themselves with power over the others and therefore end up discriminating against them. Another challenge is the growing pressure on freedom and democracy. With this type of corruption, there is some inequality of freedom among some members where those with power become the controller of everything, while others have limited power.

References

Hay, D. (2020). Key Ethical Leadership Characteristics of State Police Promotional Candidates in the South (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).

Souryal, S. S., & Whitehead, J. T. (2019). Ethics in criminal justice: In search of the truth. Routledge.