Homicide Detectives: Ethical and Cultural Analysis

Applying Multicultural/Diversity Guidelines

The forensic psychology role that I have chosen for this paper is that of being a homicide detective. Researcher Westmarland (2013), notes that many witnesses are often afraid of revenge attacks and are thus not willing to talk to the police because of this. Other witnesses do not wish to speak to the police, because as minorities either they or other members of their race have been oppressed by law enforcement officials thus they feel no need to help officers (Westmarland, 2013). One of the main issues that people have with investigating officers is that they believe that most of them are corrupt (Viswanathan, 2012). Thus, quite a number of detectives have conducted themselves in a manner that is amoral and unethical resulting in the conviction of thousands of people who are factually innocent (Innocenceproject.org, n.d.). As a forensic psychologist, I do not intend to follow these immoral paths that have been paved by unethical officers.

Three Multicultural/Diversity Guidelines

The following are 3 multicultural/diversity guidelines that I feel are the most crucial to the role played by a forensic psychologist as a homicide detective:

1. Guideline #1 extracted from APAs Guidelines on “APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists” advises psychology professionals shall be aware that everyone including themselves has certain beliefs/ opinions that can negatively influence their understanding of people from other ethnic or racial background (Rothenberg and Munshi, 2015).
2. Guideline #4 extracted from the “APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations” states that all practitioners in the field of psychology should be aware of the influences and roles of family members and socio-economic and cultural groupings and how their ideologies, principles and hierarchy affects the lifestyle choices of the client (APA, 1990).
3. Guideline #5 extracted from the “APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations” demands that psychology professionals should respect the client’s theological beliefs and ideologies, and understand that they influence his or her world view and psychosocial functioning (APA, 1990).

The Why, How, and Application of Each Guideline

I picked the earlier three guidelines as being essential to the occupation of a homicide detective for the reasons below:

1. I picked guideline #1 from the “APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists” (APA, 2002) since homicide detectives interact with individuals that come from different races and ethnicities daily. This guideline is essential considering that minority groups are over-represented in the correctional systems (Westmarland, 2013). I may implement this guideline through educating myself on diverse cultures and races to build trust among these populations.
2. I picked guideline #4 from the “APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations” (APA, 1990) since it deals with subjects of hierarchy, ranking amidst people, beliefs and values in various racial and ethnic communities. It is essential to establish relationships with different groups of individuals. I might apply this guideline by getting to know the diverse groups and similar organizations in my jurisdiction so that I can be aware of the right channels to pass through while trying to get information from mentioned groups.
3. I picked guideline #4 from the “APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations” (APA, 1990) since it deals with the subjects of religion and/or spiritual values and beliefs. This guideline ought to be employed by homicide detectives by learning about the religious and spiritual beliefs of diverse groups of individuals they work with so as to understand them better. It could be applied in circumstances where I ought to notify the victim’s family that their loved one has died. I will be able to communicate this information in the most appropriate and respectful way if I am aware of the individual’s religious beliefs.

Role, Setting and Population

I wish to work as a homicide detective, but intend to operate in an ethical, moral honest manner. The setting that I shall be operating in as a homicide detective shall differ depending on the circumstances. There are times when I will be at crime scenes and times when I shall be in investigation rooms. The population that I shall be working with will similarly differ with the situation I am working in. As a homicide detective, I shall be working with fellow detectives, coroners, crime scene analysts, pathologists and many others.

Conclusions and Insights

Following extensive research in the duties of a homicide detective, I have come to a conclusion that there appear to be numerous detectives that operate in a way that is unethical or even illegal (Westmarland, 2013). The guidelines picked provide insight into cultural and ethical knowledge, which ought to be possessed by homicide detectives presently. Finally, research for this paper provides me with insight into the fact that all racial and ethnic groups are special and possess different beliefs and value systems and to serve these populations best, we as forensic experts should know and implement these ethical codes and guidelines.

References

American Psychological Association. (1990). Guidelines for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguistic, and culturally diverse populations. Web.

American Psychological Association. (2002). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. Web.

Innocenceproject.org. (n.d.). How many people have been exonerated through DNA testing? Web.

Rothenberg, P. & Munshi, S. (2015). White privilege: essential readings on the other side of racism. New York: Worth Publishers.

Viswanathan, V. (2012). Corruption and human rights. New Delhi: Allied Publishers.

Westmarland, L. (2013). ‘Snitches get stitches’: US homicide detectives’ ethics and morals in action. Policing and Society, 23(3), 311-327.