The Shifting Tides Of Egil’S World

An officer and their mentor are eating out at a local restaurant and the manager says that “lunch in on the house. ” Although it may seem like a wonderful opportunity and a blessing on both of their wallets, is it truly the right thing to do? Should the officers’ ethics be inclined towards accepting the offer?

The purpose of this paper is to first define ethics and determine how one’s perception of ethics will differ compared to another’s. Second is to define professionalism and how an officer that has been in the field longer will differ from a new one. Third is defining integrity and highlighting the importance of being honest no matter the consequence due to it being the officers duty. Fourth is understanding corruption and how officers think differently between lower levels of corruption and high levels of corruption. Lastly is what should happen next in a scenario of being offered free food and why the officer should act in that particular matter.

Ethics

In this section the author will discuss Ethics and what it means to writer and others. Ethics is the ability to determine right from wrong. Everyone has a difference stance on ethics and on what they believe is right or wrong. Someone’s view of ethics is based on how they grew up, their environment and the people someone surrounds themselves with. In criminal justice, ethics is a key role in how officers act throughout their careers. Officers are supposed to analyze situations and determine the best possible solution. If an officer were to not properly use ethics in their decision, people could be in danger and a scenario can be elevated. For someone to use ethics properly, they must think about promoting safety in the most effective manner. One example stated is “The story is told about an Austrian police officer who, one foggy night, talked a depressed and suicidal man out of killing himself. The man’s name was Adolf Hitler. ” This example portrays how we can’t predict what will happen in the future, but since the police officer properly used ethics, he was able to save a man. Although the officer could not predict that Adolf would be the one to take the lives of innocent people, he did what was right at the time. Ethics should be done for the present and will always be shaped by our environment everyday.

Professionalism

In this section the author will discuss Professionalism and what it means to writer and others. Professionalism is when someone acts proper in his or her environment. An example would be wearing a suit when attending an office meeting. Another meaning of professionalism is someone “who has a body of specialized knowledge that he or she has learned completely (he or she is competent) and who applies that knowledge to problems in living according to a set of principles that guide their application”. This is an example of professionalism because once someone has experience in their career; they are more informed with their decisions and how to handle different situations. This makes someone who is in their careers for a longer amount of time more prepared compared to someone who is new. Although professionalism may seem more about how a person acts around colleagues and how someone may present themselves, their experience is what truly separates a professional in a field to a beginner.

Integrity

In this section the author will discuss Integrity and what it means to writer and others. Integrity is categorized as moral integrity. Moral integrity “requires truth telling, honesty, and fairness”. This is essential for officers because without integrity, the justice system will be corrupt and the justice system overall will lose their credibility. Integrity is an essential part for officers because only then will justice arise. Integrity comes at a price as stated “A person of integrity is willing to bear the consequences of her convictions, even when this is difficult, that is, when the consequences are unpleasant”. Although someone may be tempted in covering up an undesirable situation, someone that truly believes in integrity and values their position of authority will be honest, even if it puts he or she in an unwanted situation. Integrity may be a difficult concept to fully enforce, but is essential to create a fair system like the justice system.

Corruption

In this section the author will discuss Corruption and what it means to writer and others. Corruption is when someone uses their authority for their individual benefit. Corruption is a very serious problem in criminal justice because it allows criminals to bypass their consequences. Although not every officer may pursue in any parts of corruption, a vast majority of these officers do because of what they interpret as “corrupt” or not. For example, according to Adrian Beck (2002), a study has been done by to determine corrupt behaviors from police cadets to postgraduate students. The study was done by providing surveys highlighting questions such as what they deemed was morally acceptable or not, what the punishment should be, and motivators for these levels of corruption. What was concluded from the study was that lower levels of corruption were more common and acceptable compared to higher levels of corruption. For example, according to Beck (2002), using contacts to get an acquaintance released from charges of drunk fighting was more morally accepted compared to accepting money from a criminal to let him or her go. This conclusion grants a larger understanding of the types of situations where corruption may be present, and how authority may be used for the wrong reasons.

What Happens Next?

In a situation in which the restaurant was covering lunch, the best option for the situation is politely declining and stating how it’s an officer’s duty to be honest and fair. This highlights that neither officer is using their authority for any gains. This outcome also shows the integrity of the officer in being a role model in their community and setting the perfect example for colleagues to follow. Although the rejection of someone’s offering may seem rude, the officer did the correct thing to enforce his mission to be fair to all and keep everyone safe. The officer shows his resistance towards corruption, which may seem microscopic, but is still the abuse of the officer’s authority.

Conclusion

Although lunch may be seen as an innocent favor, it is the officer’s responsibility to be fair to everyone and not have their position be the reason for individual gains. Professionalism within a police officer is crucial to restrain from outside sources trying to influence him or her, although it may not seem like it. A police officer should have a certain definition of ethics and should always enforce it whenever possible. Corruption is not something that can ever stop but can be prevented for future officers.