NCJ Number
200689
Journal
Journal of Financial Crime Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 331-335
Date Published
April 2003
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper provides a framework designed to increase awareness of ethical issues within a British police organization and enhance the process of ethical decisionmaking in the police service.
Abstract
In order to develop an ethical decisionmaking framework, there must be a reference point or "ethos" that gives priority to those values that will underpin the decisionmaking process. The ethos of the British police service is to be fair, compassionate, and honorable. This ethos manifests itself in the concept of service associated with policing. There are four main dimensions that influence ethical decisions within organizations. These dimensions are the environment; the organization; the personal characteristics, values, and behavior of the individuals involved in the process; and the nature of leadership within the organization. The culture issues in the organization must also be considered. In this context, ethics codes have an important role to play, because they state explicitly what is and is not acceptable behavior for a police officer. If supported by appropriate education, training, and development programs, there is an opportunity for ethical codes to increase understanding and awareness of ethical issues and to become the tool for officers to internalize ethical values that produce ethical behavior. At the operational level, ethics committees can be responsible for evaluating the ethical dimensions of decisionmaking, thus increasing the awareness and focus on ethical approaches to difficult decisions. In putting ethical values into practice, the leader as a role model is invaluable. The personal attributes and values of the leader send a clear message to subordinates about what constitutes ethical and unethical decisionmaking within the organization. 1 references