NCJ Number
90324
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Government officials confront ethical dilemmas everyday. This videotape shows how some municipalities have managed to overcome corruption and/or to prevent it.
Abstract
Corruption in government leads to distrust in government. To get rid of corruption, those in charge must first admit that it exists. A code of ethics should delineate government workers' responsibilities. Employees should know that they are accountable for their actions. To maintain a noncorrupt government, three elements are essential: prevention, maintenance, and enforcement. Prevention entails a proactive approach involving laws, policies, codes, standards, and expectations. These should include financial disclosure statements, open meetings, eliminating conflict of interest, and some form of whistleblower protection. Maintenance refers to good management practices such as training in ethics, auditing procedures, creating an ethical environment, ensuring accountability and having a management team instead of just one individual in charge. Enforcement, or reactive elements, involve investigation of any questionable activities, exoneration of those found innocent, and punishment of those found guilty of engaging in corrupt practices. These approaches are illustrated by the governments in Arlington Heights, Ill., San Diego, and Colorado Springs.