Police Operations Work Ethics

Police Operations Work Ethics

The police department is a highly structured organization that requires ethical behavior to maintain effectiveness. The patrol officer's duty, as described by the Patrol Guide, "is to protect life and property, preserve peace, prevent crime, apprehend violators of the law, enforce traffic laws …and all other duties as assigned." (Nycole) This statement implies that an officer should be willing to put himself or herself at risk for the good of society. In addition to this duty, a list is specific procedures that outline how officers are expected to behave on duty. If these rules are not followed, there can be repercussions for both the individual officer and his/her fellow officers who must work with them after their misconduct has been discovered. The Patrol Guide also states that "An individual's personal feelings and biases must never influence an officer's decision-making process while on duty. Officers are to remain impartial and objective at all times when performing their duties. This includes, but is not limited to, the enforcement of laws, the issuance of summonses, and the handling of suspects." Although these rules are meant to protect both officers and civilians, some officers choose to break them for their self-interests. This paper will discuss the ethical violations outlined in the Patrol Guide, Ethical Theories that Guide Police ethical behavior, and other infractions under department rules and regulations. In addition to this list will be a discussion of the work environments that tend to influence police misconduct and those that discourage it.

Ethical Theories in Police Operation Behavior

Ethics is the study of behavior and treatment of others. Ethics theories study how we make ethical decisions and why we make them that way. In this case, specifically for police officer operations, it can be applied as a framework to conduct studies on decision making before an action is taken about current ethical dilemmas faced by a police officer.

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is the act of doing the greatest good to the least amount of people. Utilitarianism applies to this case about utilizing summonses instead of actual arrests. Utilizing summonses over arrests for minor offenses would be considered obeying the Golden Rule by treating everyone equally and avoiding prejudice or favoritism (Gold, 2014). It can also be applied to consider whether or not to use force in an arrest. Police operations on duty will encounter situations where they must decide whether or not to use force even if it is not necessary.  In these cases, Utilitarianism would say that it is better to use force and avoid any potential injuries, both to the officer and the suspect.

Deontology

Deontology is the act of doing what is right, regardless of the consequences. In this type of ethical theory, there are certain duties that an individual has which must be followed no matter what (Gold, 2014). A police officer must uphold the law and protect citizens. Using force when it is not necessary would violate this duty. Another example of a duty of a police officer that can be applied to this case is obeying orders from the chief. It would be considered unethical to refuse to follow an order from the chief. For example, during the Occupy Wall Street protests, officers were given orders to clear protesters from city streets. If an officer refused, this would violate their duty as a police officer. Police officers must also obey the law, which is another duty. This means that officers cannot break the law to enforce it. For example, an officer cannot illegally search a vehicle without a warrant to find drugs.

Bentham's Utilitarianism

According to Bentham, the utility is expressed in what brings pleasure and the absence of pain. To be useful, it must bring happiness. "The maximum total of pleasure for a society is reached when each member has exactly the right quantity of pleasure." If all people are treated equally with no preference for anyone, Bentham's Utilitarianism would be followed. In this type of ethical theory, the consequences of an action are considered when making a decision (Gold, 2014). For example, Officer Randazzo would consider whether or not the summons was worth the trouble it could cause if he chose to give it to Mr. Fennel instead of writing him a traffic ticket. He would also consider the consequences of choosing to arrest Mr. Fennel because he can summon a lawyer and get out on bail, which would anger Mr. Fennel and cause him to retaliate. Based on these outcomes, Officer Randazzo would utilize this type of ethical theory in making his decision.

Ethical Violations Outlined in The Patrol Guide

A New York cop recently refused to break the law in order to make an arrest. The officer had been working on routine patrol when he noticed the smell of burning marijuana emanating from a nearby vehicle (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). Two men were sitting inside the car, and when asked if they had any illegal substances with them, they replied that there was a small amount of marijuana in the car. The officer did not immediately arrest them; he allowed them to smoke the substance because they claimed there was just enough for personal use. Afterward, the men were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. In this case, following the regulation would have resulted in an arrest. However, another officer chose to take a less regulated path and allowed the men to smoke the marijuana. This decision was based on the officer's personal feelings about marijuana and how he believed the law should be enforced (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). Although the officer did not technically break any rules, his actions went against department policy.

Officers are often put in difficult positions to decide whether to follow department policy or take a less regulated path. An officer may opt to issue a summons rather than make an arrest in one instance, while another officer may choose to use force even when not necessary in another (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). These decisions are made based on the officer's own biases and feelings, which leads to unethical action. In the New York cop case, his opinions towards marijuana played a role in his choice to let the men consume it. This type of decision-making is unacceptable because it allows personal biases to dictate an officer's behavior.

Every police department has a set of written rules and procedures for how its officers are expected to behave while on duty. These guidelines outline acceptable behavior, which must be followed to maintain the department's integrity. If an officer fails to conform to these rules and regulations, he or she can be reprimanded and even face loss of employment. An example of a New York police officer who failed to follow the rules and procedures outlined in his duty manual is Officer Adrian Schoolcraft. In October 2009, Officer Schoolcraft was involuntarily committed to a Jamaica Hospital's mental ward after claiming that higher-ups at the 81st precinct forced him into the hospital by taking him contrary to his will (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). Officer Schoolcraft had been making tapes of his shift since 2007, and other officers later corroborated many of the allegations he made on the tapes. In one tape, Officer Schoolcraft can be heard stating that precinct commander Steven Mauriello ordered officers to downgrade crimes from felonies to misdemeanors to make the precinct appear more favorable on paper. This is an example of ethical violations when officers fail to follow department policy and procedures.

The Patrol Guide gives New York police officers a clear set of rules by which they are expected to abide. During their shifts, police encounter situations where they must decide whether or not to act following department policy. In some cases, officers may feel that following department policy is not the best course of action, and they may choose to take a less regulated path (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). This type of decision-making can lead to ethical violations, as was the case with Officer Adrian Schoolcraft. If officers are going to be put in difficult situations where they must make ethical decisions, they must be held accountable for their actions.

Officers are often put in difficult situations where they must decide whether to follow department policy or take a less regulated path, and these decisions may cause them to face ethical issues (Ortmeier, 2002). In one situation, officers can issue subpoenas instead of arresting, while another officer can use his power even if he doesn't need it.. These decisions are often based on the officer's personal views and biases, leading to unethical behavior. The New York Police Officer who let men smoke marijuana did not technically break any rules, but his actions went against department policy (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). Every police department has a set of written rules and procedures that outline acceptable behavior for officers, which must be followed if they want to maintain the department's integrity. If an officer fails to follow these guidelines, he or she can be reprimanded and even face loss of employment.

An example of a New York police officer who failed to abide by the rules outlined in his duty manual is Officer Adrian Schoolcraft. In October 2009, Officer Schoolcraft was involuntarily committed to a mental ward at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC) after claiming that higher-ups forced him into the hospital by taking him contrary to his will (Stinson, Liederbach, Lab, & Brewer, 2016). Officer Schoolcraft had been making tapes of his shift since 2007, and many of the allegations on the tapes were later corroborated by other officers. In one tape, Officer Schoolcraft can be heard stating that precinct commander Steven Mauriello ordered officers to downgrade crimes from felonies to misdemeanors to make the precinct appear more favorable on paper. This is an example of ethical violations when officers fail to follow department policy and procedures. The Patrol Guide gives New York police officers a clear set of rules by which they are expected to abide (Ortmeier, 2002). During their shifts, police encounter situations where they must decide whether or not to act following department policy. In some cases, officers may feel that following department policy is not the best course of action, and they may choose to take a less regulated path. This type of decision-making can lead to ethical violations, as was the case with Officer Adrian Schoolcraft. If officers are going to be put in difficult situations where they must make ethical decisions, they must be held accountable for their actions.

Officers are often put in difficult situations where they must decide whether to follow department policy or take a less regulated path, and these decisions may cause them to face ethical issues. In one situation, an officer may choose to issue a summons rather than make an arrest, while another officer might use force even if it is not necessary. These decisions are often based on the officer's personal views, leading to unethical behavior. An example of when this occurred in New York police history is when former Officer Alberto Randazzo pleaded guilty to forcing women to expose their breasts and having sex with them in his patrol car (Ortmeier, 2002). Randazzo is accused of forcing at least eight different women to bare their chests during traffic stops and threatening them if they refused to do so. This was an illustration of an ethical violation when Officer Randazzo failed to stand by the rules outlined in his duty manual. Officers are often put in difficult situations where they must make ethical decisions and be answerable for their actions. If officers are going to be put in these situations, they must be given a clear set of guidelines to make their decisions. This is why it's critical for police departments to have written policies and procedures in place that spell out what constitutes acceptable officer behavior.

Conclusion

To summarize, if police officers wish to retain the integrity of their department, they must follow documented regulations and procedures. When officers fail to follow department policy, it can lead to ethical issues, as with Officer Adrian Schoolcraft. It is often difficult for an officer who must decide their shift on whether or not to follow department policy. This is why it is important for police departments to have a clear set of guidelines that officers can use to make their decisions. If officers are going to be put in difficult situations, they must be held accountable for their actions. Police departments must also ensure that their officers are properly trained to deal with these situations. This will help to prevent unethical behavior from occurring in the future.

References

Barker, T. (2011). Police ethics: Crisis in law enforcement. Charles C Thomas Publisher.

Donahue, M. E., & Felts, A. A. (1993). Police ethics: A critical perspective. Journal of Criminal Justice, 21(4), 339-352.

Gold, J. (2014). Utilitarian and deontological approaches to criminal justice ethics. In Justice, Crime, and Ethics (pp. 29-44). Routledge.

Ortmeier, P. J. (2002). Policing the community: A guide for patrol operations. Merrill.

Stinson, P. M., Liederbach, J., Lab, S. P., & Brewer, S. L. (2016). Police Integrity Lost: A Study of Law Enforcement Officers Arrested. U.S. Department of Justice, 1-671.