In rewriting the code of conduct, key standards would which must be included are employee professionalism and conduct, chain of command, and use of force. These standards are an essential part in the day to day operations of any law enforcement organization, and failure to include these standards would create the potential for offices to implement the law as they saw fit, with disregard for authority or a specified chain of command. A comparison of the standards of Pine Bluff and New Mexico’s standards indicate that while the topics may be identified differently, each agency addresses the same issues respectfully. While each identifies specific violations which are seemingly more common to their operation as the Pine Bluff Police Department’s Standard B (2) (d) (11) “Purchasing from or for a prisoner or giving or accepting gifts from or for a prisoner” (Pine Bluff Police Department Policy & Procedures Manual, 2008), others provide a general sweeping policy encompassing all areas in general terms.
There is no doubt that being in the profession of corrections is an exceedingly stressful and dangerous profession. Corrections officers are one of the highest rated for non-fatal on-the-job injuries, which usually result from confrontations with inmates. These confrontations are anything from riots, fights, and even having excrement being throw at them by inmates. When being confronted with these challenges on a daily basis, fraternity and brotherhood are crucial. It is vital for your fellow corrections officer to “have your 6”. Being a corrections officer is more than guarding inmates, it is protecting your fellow officers and protecting the inmates from themselves, even though at times the inmates wish harm upon you. We all must remember, corrections officers are cops without guns and a lot more criminals. To civilians, that it a nightmare that we could never imagine. It is of the utmost importance that the PSCOA operate as a “fraternal organization,” because it is impossible to trust and depend on one another. The ultimate goal for each officer is to maintain order and to get home every night in one piece.
“Objectively public administrators are accountable to both their superiors and the citizenry— proximately and routinely to the former but ultimately and more importantly to the latter” (Cooper, 2012, p. 198). A situation at Corcoran State Prison was challenged with a situation wherein dual obligations conflicted. Corcoran State Prison became the center of a serious ethical scandal that consisted of illegality, injustice, endangerment, corruption, and conspiracy. Two corrections officers of Corcoran, Steve Rigg and Richard Caruso, were faced with the question of where their loyalty lies— with their superior or with the citizens they serve?
We urge that the leadership of the LAPD go beyond rhetoric in carrying out its existing policies against excessive force. From the Chief of Police down to the sergeants, this means taking a firm stand against the "bad guys" on the force and employing all the instruments available training, discipline, assignments, and promotion... We recommend a new standard of accountability (1991, xiii-xiv)
Organizational climate is essential in developing a culture of incorruptible individuals and this climate is set by the organizations leaders. Within the SCORE unit of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) at the time of the indictment, it was not clear if leaders set a tone of ethical conduct, nor did it appear that principled conduct was the cornerstone of the command leadership philosophy. Specifically, all ethical standards for Kansas City Police Department are derived from Wyandotte County Unified Government code of ethics and the police department lacks police specific philosophies toward ethical conduct (Unified Government Ordinance, 2009). Although, the International Chiefs of Police have established a code of honor adopted by many police departments, it is unclear bases on empirical information what KCKPD leadership expected of their Police officers. For instance, it is vital for executive to formulate as stated by Martin (2011), “an agenda that explains the moral purposes of the department” (para. 6). Therefore, not making an ethics based agenda and delivering a repetitive and deliberate focus on such an agenda to all levels is one failure by leadership to have contributed to creating a perceived environment of unethical conduct. On the other hand, senior managers cannot root out corruption without captains, lieutenants, sergeants and senior officers. Middle and first-line leader are essential to the command structure ensuring high standards are
The people in your care must be able to trust you with their health and wellbeing.
Robert Peel had listed 1 standards or principles for policing. Standard one states how policing must be organized along the military lines. ( Bohm & Haley, p.g. 141). I currently work for the Sherriff's department, and each shift is ran by a Cpl. and Sgt. The jail is ran by the Lt. and Cpt. The deputies and the corrections officer highest ranking bosses would be the Sherriff and the chief. Our jail has ranks and runs along in the military lines. Principle two lists how all law enforcements agencies must be under the governor control, rules and regulations. Back in the day the government had no control over the law enforcements officers, but today is a different story. Our law enforcements agencies is under the government s control. If our law
The main forms of corruption committed by correctional officers, include “theft, trafficking, embezzlement, and misuse of authority” (Pollock, 2017, p. 403). An officer misuses authority when, “Accepting gratuities for special consideration during legitimate activities,” “Accepting gratuities for protection of illicit activities,” “Mistreatment/harassment or extortion of inmates,” “Mismanagement,” and “Miscellaneous abuses” (Pollock, 2017, p. 403-404). Correctional officers can take advantage of their power and use it excessively, such as acting bias toward the inmates, acting inconsiderate or careless toward inmates, and using their authority to gain something on a personal level, such as smuggling or theft (Pollock, 2017). Over the past five
It is important that the sheriff primarily, regardless of experience in law enforcement or lack thereof in this case, follow these core values to set the example for every employee. Unfortunately, the Sheriff is currently under a whistleblower lawsuit and a simultaneous ethics investigation by the Florida Commission on Ethics. While the violations can be perceived as minor in nature to a private corporation if even a violation, they are seen as an abuse of power by the sheriff and have eroded public trust, along with having a negative effect on the morale of the
“protect those that need protecting, perform the job with integrity, keep others information confidential unless the performance of duty or legal provision requires otherwise, use discretion based on reasonableness, never employ use of force unless in the defense of life, and behave in a manner that does not discredit the office in which they are employed” (Ethics and Law Enforcement, 2002).
Police executives have always had different issues within the police department. Most police executives try to find a quick fix in order to solve the issue of police misconduct. Police misconduct is defined as inappropriate action taken by police officers in relation with their official duties (Police Misconduct Law & Legal Definition, n.d.). In order to solve this issue, one must acknowledge their different challenges, overcome the “code of silence”, and find out the role of organizational culture.
In this country we are seeing an increase in ethical violations in the field of law enforcement. I will go into detail about some of the main ethical issues we are seeing today and what can be done to prevent such acts from happening. When one officer is being unethical it has a huge effect on how the public views law enforcement as a whole. Many officers go undetected for a long time before getting caught, but an officer committing ethical violations will have their day it’s just a matter of time. In order to improve this growing problem we must first understand why there is such a problem in the field of law enforcement.
Some argue that corrupt police officers are simply the product of a corrupt culture of the agency they work for. These officers are socially introduced to a number of informal rules when they begin employment. This process and these rules serve two main purposes. First, this process is designed to minimize the chances of external or internal controls being mobilized to address the behaviors and, secondly, to keep corrupt activities at a level that is acceptable and likely undetectable. The rule most often referred to in this connection, is the “Code of Silence.” Officers are socialized into not cooperating with investigations regarding fellow officers. Whether or not the officer participates in corrupt activities for financial gain, an officer’s adherence to the “Code of Silence” places them squarely amongst the corrupt of the profession (Price, 1972).
These types of misconduct arise throughout police jobs that include routine procedures such as traffic stops, ticket writing, directing traffic, and discouraging potential threats to those in their community. What often go unnoticed, though, are the undercover works and the corruptions that go on within a department. The four terms associated with these conflicting values are deviance, which is behavior inconsistent with the norms, values, or ethics, corruption, which is forbidden acts involving misuse of office for gain, misconduct, which is the violation of departmental procedures, and favoritism which is unfair “breaks” to friends or relatives.
Police use of force policies are used by all types of law enforcement officers. There is a concern for a balance of ethical decisions. There are mutual concerns for the rights and lives of civilians and the wellbeing and lives of officers. Upholding excessive stress-free standards for employed law enforcement is detrimental to police use of force mandates. Police organizations can reduce some of the scenarios that cause use of force outcomes. There is a need to find what process can identify potential issues prior to events or actions that cause criminal misconduct by law enforcement. Police training and development needs reassessment. There needs to be an administration of logic and reasoning prior to the use of any force, especially deadly force. Most of the police operations that incite these negative outcomes are avoidable with the implementation of proper training.