NCJ Number
188670
Journal
Revija za Kriminalistiko in Kriminologijo Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: July-September 2000 Pages: 287-294
Date Published
July 2000
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This analysis of codes of ethics for criminal investigations emphasizes the special ethical and moral problems and dilemmas related to these investigations.
Abstract
Police codes of ethics usually deal with the entire police agency and police work and do not distinguish between the work of specific components of the police. However, several issues arise from the nature of criminal investigation as a truth-finding process, as emphasized in Europe, or as the reconstruction of the past, as discussed by writers in the United States, within the framework of the rules of criminal procedure. An important ethical question is whether it is ethical in principle to suspect a person of being the perpetrator of a criminal offense only on the basis of clues, suspicious circumstances, or vague information. Another issue is whether it is ethical to suspect and doubt someone at all. However, investigations require suspicion and a hypothesis of guilt. A further issue is whether investigators must follow strict legal and ethical guidelines for behavior despite the likelihood that perpetrators will lie, cheat, mislead, threaten, and destroy evidence. The analysis concludes that special codes of ethics for investigators should be established. 18 references (Author abstract modified)