NCJ Number
163546
Date Published
1996
Length
93 pages
Annotation
This book examines issues that are critical to the understanding of the ethical problems of the American law enforcement community.
Abstract
The four issues considered are whether law enforcement is a profession, whether law enforcement officers can be professional, the forms of behavior that are the major law enforcement ethical violations, and whether police ethical violations can be controlled. The author argues that law enforcement is not yet a profession; however, law enforcement officers can be professional in their behavior. They can be professional if their behavior conforms to a Code of Ethics. The book examines the current law Enforcement Code of Ethics to determine if it could be used as a model for professional behavior. The author determines that it can be. He then examines the forms and patterns of ethical violation that could occur in a law enforcement agency. In proposing a way to control corruption and misconduct by police, the author proposes a three-pronged approach. It aims at decreasing the opportunity for police misconduct, undermining peer-group support for forms and patterns of unethical behavior, and increasing the risk of engaging in these activities. 26 references and a subject index