NCJ Number
174945
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 66 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1997 Pages: 20-25
Date Published
1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This author explores the impact of specific factors on police ethics, reviews current literature available to help police executives manage for ethics, notes areas where additional research is needed, and offers suggestions for promoting ethical conduct in law enforcement.
Abstract
Crucial factors that make managing for ethics today different from and more demanding than in the past are the increasing level of temptation stemming from the illicit drug trade, the challenges posed by decentralization, and the potentially compromising nature of the police organizational culture. Most writing relevant to police ethics focuses on narrowly defined aspects of the larger issue. However, police managers must develop a comprehensive approach to promoting ethical behavior. Areas to address include a formal code of ethics, leadership, violence and aggression, training and higher education, and hiring practices. Some authors focus on the relationship between police officers' personal characteristics and their ethical behavior. Some have challenged the usefulness of applicant testing, while others support an agency's right to select applicants who meet the agency's ethical requirements. A few have examined the effect of controversial hiring practices on later unethical conduct. Police managers should remember that every action a police officer takes has an afterlife that reverberates in the community long after the act is completed. Citizens intrinsically want to trust law enforcement; officers who act unethically not only betray that trust but also add to the many challenges that law enforcement is already experiencing. Illustrations, author photograph, and 10 reference notes