Accountaability In The Criminal Justice System

When the public looks at us as public servants they expect officers to be of the highest ethical, and moral standard. When the police deal with the public, unfortunately it is usually when something is wrong. To be able to fix things that are wrong in society you have to be a person of integrity with moral values. The public would never trust someone who does not have integrity to fix there problems. In order for officers of the Las Vegas metropolitan police to perform their duties the community needs to be able to trust them. When a officer is trustworthy, he or she can be relied upon to be honest, reliable, and loyal, which to me means they have integrity. But its also equally important to be respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and demonstrate good citizenship. An officer with integrity does exactly what he says, and says exactly what he means. There is no conflict or doubt between his thoughts and actions. His actions are consistent with the values he claims to

It is important that police officers be ethical especially while on the job. An officer’s

The criminal justice system is one of the most important components in the public service system. Since it is a system that citizens encounter daily it would be most beneficial for those who are employed to behave as ethical leaders. Leadership skills and ethical behavior are both parts of the duties of any officer serving the law. Often employees are placed in quick decision situations that can have fatal outcomes if not handled properly. By ensuring that all officers of the law have a set of functioning ethical leadership skills can not only develop a well-rounded individual, but also builds the relationship between the community they serve to protect. The police and other officers of the law have great discretion and power over an individual which makes having responsible, ethically behaving persons on the front lines even more important. With the right training and education, ethical officers can set the bar and improve the quality of life of the community they serve as well as other officers.

There are very few careers with as high demands for an ethical standard as law enforcement. Although there are many careers, which require a dedication to doing the right thing, it is undeniable that there is a tremendous degree of responsibility and expectations placed on the police officer. While most professions allow for careful thought and planning, a police officer is often thrust into a situation with little advanced intelligence about what is occurring. Often an officer is involved in a situation which has the potential to turn violent. Relying on training allows the officer to successfully navigate a variety of situations.

My first interviewee officers jack Davidson, patrolman from Somers point police department. When interviewing Patrolman Davidson, I found the following to be his impressions of the police force in general. Officer Davidson spoke of why ethics and character are important in the field of law enforcement. His response was that ethics and character go hand in hand. In law enforcement it seems that there are so many reasons to do the right thing. The reasons began with public opinion and also should include their influence on the youth who will be growing up to be citizens of the city, state, or country. If a police officer does not behave with

“Ethical issues regarding corruption and off-duty behavior have become an increasing challenge in criminal justice” (Writing, 1999-2013). Within the criminal justice system, ethics can be complicated by the moral implications of actions. Differences in cultures and different circumstances can affect the individual moral compass. However, all departments of criminal justice operate by a certain code of ethics and by certain standards. But those standards and ethics often become challenged due to issues relating to police brutality, off duty conduct and corruption that we hear about all of the time through the media.

New officers need to know that no profession demands a higher ethical standard than law enforcement. Whether or not there are other careers that require a similar dedication to doing the right thing, it is undeniable that there is a tremendous degree of expectations placed upon police officers. Every officer knows, or at least should know by now, that they live in a fishbowl. Friends, relatives, neighbors and strangers watch every move law enforcement officers make, both on and off duty. The fact is that the public scrutinizes police officers more than most other professions, either because they are cynical or hope to catch them screwing up or because they are hopeful

5. Should ethics training be offered as an on-going process for law enforcement officers? * 5. “On-going ethics training is always a good idea. We train with our guns and cars every year. Couldn’t hurt to make ethics required every year too.” (Shonda Ellis Duncan, personal Interview 2011) 6. Do the interviewees feel that education and/or training in ethics would reduce incidents of police corruption? * 6. “Training may reduce corruption incidents. It’s a nice idea. A wise man once told me though that power corrupts. I believe this to be true. If you think of yourself as a superior to everyone else, there is no law, no training or in-service that can fix that kind of ugly. I don’t know if someone can be “trained” to be humble. Either you are or you ain’t. I think this is true for cops. You’re either a good one or we appreciate your interest in law enforcement. Of course a good cop has to maintain order. You must have respect to be successful. An officer’s presence alone demands it. One must remember the spirit and the letter of the law though and hold it dear as it is precious. “(Shonda Ellis Duncan, personal Interview 2011)

The Police “Code of Silence” is an unspoken rule among many police agencies in the country. It is a code of “honor” in the police brotherhood where giving information about another police officers wrongdoings is considered an act of betrayal. Other terms for the code include: “The Thin Blue Line,” and “The Wall of Silence.” Police academies across the nation are close-knit communities of law enforcement. From the first day on the job to the last, every officer is supposed to count on one another for support. Time after time, we see stories on the news of officers committing criminal acts and being put on trial for it. Rarely, do we see officers put behind bars. This is due to none other than “The Code.” If a police

When any agency has an established code of ethics, they should consider the cultural changes and reflect their codes upon these changes within reason so that the agency can remain relevant to their communities at large. According to Allen & Sawhney (2015), like any business, ethical behavior in police work has to start from the top beginning at the socialization process and continuing promotion. The respected agency has to assure that their personnel understand the codes, but also how to live up to each of them. The agency at the same time has to keep the standard and enforce these codes and bring disciplinary actions against anyone who violates them, which the public will see and support as a

Police officers perform all duties impartially, without favor or affection or ill will, and without regard to status, race, religion, and political belief or aspiration (Price, 2014). All citizens will be treated equally with courtesy, consideration and dignity. Officers should never allow personal feelings, animosities or friendships to influence official conduct. Laws should be enforced appropriately, courteously and, in carrying out their responsibilities officers strive to obtain maximum cooperation from the public (Price, 2014). Doing this will inspire confidence and respect for the position of public trust, and will show the responsibility of individualism that an officer holds himself to.

Innocent until proven guilty, that is for the suspect, today law enforcements ethics and values are under suspicion and rightfully so. This honorable profession needs to be progressive and transparent, and bring critical details to the public quickly, as in matter of hours not days. Furthermore, law enforcement ethics need to be virtuous and these men and women should possess the following virtues, courage, perseverance, compassion, generosity, truthfulness, and a good temper. These men and women are not without fault, however they must constantly strive to be

This learner thinks that the only way implement judicial accountabilities is to first look at all the cases where race seems to be an issue for certain judges, second never just go to that judge, call across the board meeting, and by using either a pie chart or a bar chart show them the overall numbers of African Americans, Caucasian, Hispanics, and other races that have the same crime, but there sentencing was different. Third, after this is completed ask for the judges input on how the system can create accountability for the courts sentencing and what need to be adjust on the guidelines in order for this to work, and lastly, explain this is not about blame it is about making correction based on the fact and the number that

Although officer are only human, they are the role-model of society held to the highest of standards due to the very nature of the political and social force of legal authority placed upon them as public servant. Therefore, any situation surrounding one officer’s abuse of authority for personal gain, criminal conduct, dishonesty, excessive force, and discriminatory practices often diminishes the public’s trust and support needed to maintain and enhance public safety. In the past, agencies recognized patterns of unethical issues stemming from the basis of officer recruitment that focused more upon physical abilities instead of the need for diversity, training, and educational values to support a higher level of professionalism (Ortmeier, 2/1/2009, p. 82). While the professionalization of the law enforcement subculture is highly recognized today as an important value in promoting better police conduct and accountability, misconduct still exists in some areas of the law enforcement subculture.

If the officer has great integrity then their moral ethics will also be