Should Police Officers Who Lie Be Terminated As A Matter Of Public Policy

Lack of training and policing standards are closely linked to the myriad problems bedeviling police work, especially in small departments (Brodeur, 2010). All over the country, police departments report cases of officers being caught in uncompromising and unprofessional situations, resulting in disciplinary actions such as redeployment, suspension or sacking. These cases of unprofessionalism have led to questions being asked about policing, occasioned by recurring series of questionable and controversial encounters with police officers (Brodeur, 2010). The consequence of such encounters is increasing public distrust in law enforcement agencies.

There are those who would argue that undercover policing is unethical, however it is a central part of intelligence led policing. Undercover policing, sometimes referred to as covert policing is where officers go undercover, often as criminals in order to gain intel, evidence, get convictions and make arrest. However many would argue that this practice is unethical because it requires police officers to lie and engage in criminal activity. This paper will not take a stance on whether or not the practice of covert policing is ethical, but will instead examine the arguments and problems surrounding undercover policing. Which include; unchecked power, the use of deceit, authorized criminality, infringement of privacy rights, psychological stress placed on officers and its overall effectiveness.

Today’s justice professionals are in the public eye more than ever. There are a multitude of devices out there that allow civilians to capture every move a street officer makes. It is more crucial now than ever that these officers arm themselves with the knowledge of ethics along with the items on their utility belt. The wrong choice in any decision a justice professional makes will have the public ready and willing to lash out. These difficult ethical decisions are all part of the job that they have taken. Taking the time to learn about what is right and wrong is essential to their positions in society.

When one thinks of police misconduct many not too distant stories might go through our heads. Most adults will remember how they felt when they saw the brutal beating of Rodney King on their local news station; or the outrage they experienced when they heard that the evidence in the OJ Simpson trial had been tampered with. But thanks to new guidelines, procedures and even civilian groups who now “police” the police, instances of police misconduct may soon start seeing a decline.

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

Police officers are generally well-respected in American society. They should be, since officers protect the public from drunk drivers, gunmen and other threats to the commonwealth. However, in light of uncovered events involving the misconduct of police officers, these events call into question the ability of police officers to successfully protect and serve the American people. However, in 2010, 6,613 law enforcement officers were reported for involvement in misconduct which varied from excessive force, sexual misconduct et cetera (Packman). Having 6,613 reported cases of police misconduct in America is ridiculous, especially since it is hard validating the claims against officers and it is difficult to punish officers because of this lack of evidence. While the purpose of police officers in society is to protect the commonwealth of the people, the amount of police misconduct in the United States of America involving excessive force and sexual misconduct is detrimental to the credibility of all police officers. This in turn causes rifts and distrust among the American people concerning officers. Police misconduct can be reduced in American society by requiring police officers to wear cameras while on duty, having a clear definition on what excessive force is and defining how much force is legal for an officer to utilize, and better training geared to improve overall conduct with citizens, especially mentally ill citizens.

Public policies are all of those things a government decides to do that ranges from taxation, defense, education, crime, health care, transportation, environment, civil rights, and working conditions.

In a survey 52% of police officers said it is common for law enforcement officials to disregard the inappropriate conduct of other officers. While 61% of officers claimed they usually do not report serious abuse that they have directly witnessed by colleagues. Yes, we all know that there are always going to be a few corrupt and unethical people within every profession, but these statistics show that within the police officer profession there are far more than a few corrupt and unethical

Police departments undergo an immense amount of scrutiny. Many members of society question their motives, if they are performing their jobs adequately, and if they are using police discretion appropriately. Over the years there have been many cases that have involved members of law enforcement or the entire police department, that have placed law enforcement in a negative light. This negative light is attention that neither society nor the police departments will benefit from. One major case that has been in the media is the case of Kelly Thomas. Kelly Thomas was beaten and eventually died from injuries he had sustained from local law enforcement. This case is a major case because it brings awareness to society about police overstepping their boundaries, the lack of training police officers receive with dealing with the mentally ill, and how the mentally ill are treated in the criminal justice system.

Police misconduct and the ‘code of silence’ is a global phenomenon that has been present since the formation of formal police agencies. Police leadership can shape the influence and direction of their departments through recruitment, training, field training officers (mentors), policy, and discipline. Frontline supervisors act as the bridge between the administration and the frontline officers. Supervisors exert some informal influence over officers, but must also serve their superiors and the agency mission. There is no clear cut method to curbing the ‘code of silence’ and agency transparency is needed to appease the public such agencies serve. This is a two way street, the public must respect the authority of said officers and submit to lawful and reasonable request. Police administrators must maintain open lines of communication and trust with their subordinates if the ‘code of silence’ is to ever be weakened.

A 2010 article in the journal American Criminal Law Review found numerous instances of police officers making statements—even under oath—which video evidence later revealed to be false. The article claims our legal system views police officers as “impartial fact gatherers … rather than biased advocates attempting to disprove innocence, which is the reality.”

Early November 2016, a Michigan police officer was suspended for flying a Confederate flag from his pickup truck at a rally protesting the election of Donald Trump. The officer later resigned after his suspension. The confederal flag has several implication in United States. Many claim that flying of the Confederate flag is protected by the first amendment and regardless the implication it has on society, because individuals has the liberties to do so. Should the police officer be suspended for exercising his first Amendment right?

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.

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.

Government policies- These are the course of actions or inactions taken by the state with regard to a particular issue.