In many ways, modern law enforcement is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. With the attention of the general public now focused on the violations of officers and the systemic flaws of the structure itself now more then ever, the questions of what constitutes police professionalism and the ethics of modern policing. The two concepts should be evaluated critically trough a balanced analytical lens, as any discussion of them expectedly sparks debate and contradiction in most modern circles.
When it comes to the police professionalism, the dual perspective of the force as a governmental organ, and as an organization that can and should be managed. The approach to the idea of police professionalism has emerged from a consistent and perpetual attempt to reconcile the two aspects for the purposes of both administrational consistency and general social good. It relies on the idea that the police chief’s honesty must be unquestionable.
Firstly, police professionalism utilizes the principle of integrity is defined as a self-imposed adherence to moral principles, and it is exemplified by essential human characteristics including honesty, courage, self-discipline, and tolerance. Secondly, it acknowledges that law enforcement, like any other profession, is intellectually challenging. Each domain in the intellectual job description for law enforcement should be developed by police commanders. Knowledge of procedural tasks, questions of discretionary authority, and conceptual attitudes pertinent to police education are among these domains (Thompson & Payne, 2019). The term industry refers to work habits that prioritize results over activities. Rather than sitting or watching, initiative entails action and demonstrating. Finally, a leader’s personal quality of positive effect entails a presence of confidence, competence, and a positive attitude; this quality enables a leader to have a large and positive impact on people both inside and beyond the workplace.
Even with these principles clarified, the question of the ethics of modern policing remains somewhat complicated. From the Christian point of view, the law enforcement is governed by situational ethics, which, in certain cases, complicates the particulars of the necessary procedures. Agencies have adopted regulations that address expected ethical behavior in a related good-faith effort to limit the more widespread and troubling abuses of unethical activity. By forbidding specific conduct or censoring errant officers, many of these policies put a negative perspective on ethics. In the murky world of daily policing, where today’s victim is tomorrow’s witness and next week’s suspect, these policies express the exceptional moral character demanded of a police officer in primarily imprecise terms that can be very inefficient.
However, the prospect of penalty prevents open and honest debate on such a sensitive and contentious subject. No officer wants to admit that they may have taken a shortcut or done something so questionable or potentially unethical that they would be shunned by their peers or face additional consequences that could cost them more than a verbal or written reprimand. A zero tolerance policy could exacerbate the problem by encouraging cops to cover up misconduct rather than admitting fault, taking appropriate corrective action, and learning from their mistakes (Westmarland & Rowe, 2018). Agencies must also ensure that officers are allowed to communicate ethical problems and conflicts (whether personal or witnessed) without fear of facing repercussions. The best lessons are frequently learned informally during patrol room chats. In well-functioning organizations that prioritize ethical behavior, candid, discreet talks of such matters are crucial. To create an open and honest debate, such dialogues should be non-punitive. At the same time, accountability must persist given the discriminatory patterns among officers, who should be allowed room to improve as long as their good faith can be observed.
References
Thompson, J., & Payne, B. (2019). Towards professionalism and police legitimacy? An examination of the education and training reforms of the police in the republic of Ireland. Education Sciences, 9(3), 241. Web.
Westmarland, L., & Rowe, M. (2018). Police ethics and integrity: Can a new code overturn the blue code?. Policing and society, 28(7), 854-870. Web.