Ethics, Morality and Code of Conduct in Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers hold a position of public trust in their service line of restoration of law and order. They hold a position of high accord where so much expectation is vested in them to be fair, responsible and impartial. However, the sad reality is that the law enforcement profession has seen a steady decline in adherence to ethics, morality and code of conduct evidenced by frequent cases of prejudicial profiling, excessive force and discrimination portrayed by law enforcement officers (Lee, 2018). Ethics, morality and the code of conduct are essential in ensuring that the laws are adhered to, and no group or individual violently asserts it will over public order. At the same time, police remain democratic while asserting this order.
The aspects of morality and ethics are critical in law enforcement. The officers are expected to be morally upright and think and act ethically while adhering to the code of conduct that they swore to uphold. Firstly they uphold the ethic and making rational decisions while addressing situations. In this case, identify viable options and alternatives to address issues. Secondly, being accountable and responsible for their actions and consequential outcomes. Doing this will delineate them from others that do not adhere to these principles (Monaghan, 2017).
Being a prospective law enforcement officer, ethics and integrity will be imperative in my career pursuit. Firstly, being a law enforcement prospects will be integral to the working out of the law whereby the rule of law is founded on the integrity thus adhering to this principle will maintain the public trust in my professionalism and service. Secondly, acting impartially will ensure that when handling issues, I act cognitively and impartially according to every citizen with equal treatment level with no discrimination or favor. Lastly, setting a good example, by being ethical and integral, I will act as a role model to the people I serve who will emulate integrity and adhering to ethics making the society a better place (McCartney, 2018).
In the contemporary world, law enforcement officers face many ethical dilemmas in both their professional and personal lives. There are two ways to apply ethics, morality and code adhere to the code conduct both in line of duty and off duty. Firstly, law enforcement officers should be respectful; in a situation, a law enforcement officer has seconds to access situations and make an impeccable judgment, for essence when making arrests they should be respectful of the other personal rights and handle them with utmost respect unless on cases where the suspect is non-compliant. (McCartney, 2018) Secondly, they should be inclusive by being fair when dealing with people of different identities and backgrounds regardless of their race, gender, family status or sexual orientation.
Law enforcement officers adhere to the code of conduct and have been commended for good policing on several occasions. They adhere to Article 1 of the conduct provisions by ensuring public safety and combating illegal acts. They act selflessly by protecting the community at the expense of their own lives (Plotkin, 2017). Additionally, they adhere to the code’s provision and only and when necessary do they use force while performing their duties.
Conclusion
To achieve public safety, law enforcement officers should adhere to their guiding ethical principles and conduct codes while upholding their moral standards. Police officers are held in the highest standards and are constantly under public scrutiny. By adhering to law and order, acting impartially, using force where necessary notably makes it a last resort, eliminating profiling while creating a peaceful cohesion between the police and the public.
References
Lee, C. (2018). Reforming the law on police use of deadly force: De-escalation, pre-seizure conduct, and imperfect self-defense. U. Ill. L. Rev., 629.
McCartney, S., & Parent, R. (2018). Ethics in law enforcement.
Monaghan, J. (2017). The special moral obligations of law enforcement. Journal of Political Philosophy, 25(2), 218-237.
Plotkin, M. R., Peckerman, T., International Assoc of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), & United States of America. (2017). The Variability in Law Enforcement State Standards: A 42-state Survey of Mental Health and Crisis De-escalation Training. Justice Center, the Council of State Governments
