...Brooke Fritz Mini-Paper CCJS 380 5055 Ethical Behavior in Criminal Justice 3/24/15 Ethics Ethics is a very important subject that requires a lot of focus and attention in the criminal justice field. Police integrity and ethics is a crucial element to an efficient police agency. In every police agency, it is desired to have an environment which has effective partnerships between the police and citizens. Good ethics and integrity is so important because it is what builds trust within a community. Police leadership must be in the highest ethical standards if the agency wants to keep the public’s trust. In order to be successful at enhancing integrity and ethics within an organization, leaders must establish consistent ethical mentoring and role modeling. It only takes one single incident of unethical behavior to turn an admired police agency into one of the least-respected. Ethics is known to be the foundation of the criminal justice system. Ethics is what has developed the moral reasoning we use, how we define criminal activity, and what the society considers acceptable punishment. Ethics must be studied because the criminal justice system is the most effective and best operates in an ethical manner. It is important that we study ethics in criminal justice so that we know what should be done in different given situations. Ethics entitles doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. That raises a common question, how are we supposed to know what...
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...Criminal Justice Ethics Monica A. Stoddard Prof. Stephen Knights CRJ 410 June 10, 2012 Two of my most important values is integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty go hand and hand. Without honesty there is no integrity. Integrity is doing the same thing whether you are in a group or completely alone; in other words, doing the right thing, all of the time, even if no one is watching. Criminal justice integrity is especially important in police work. It is an essential value for officers to maintain even if they are trying to fit into the subculture of law enforcement. Much corruption in police departments has been the result of officers compromising integrity. These principles are important to me because as a criminal justice professional I am entrusted to do a job that may require little to no supervision. Another of my important values is honesty. Honesty is a very important part of our personal and professional lives. Being dishonest can break down relationships and harm the community as a whole. Honesty is also a major value in the criminal justice system. In order for the system to even work it must be based on honor and honesty. I will remain professional on and off duty. Some citizens have this idea that some criminal justice officials are crooked. Remaining professional while on duty is very important. No matter how an inmate or a probationer or parolee may act disrespectful, I must remain in control of the situation as to not get out of character...
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...Ethics in Criminal Justice Ethical Dilemma 1: Gun Rally After receiving a tip regarding a possible unlawful rally being planned, you must decide what the proper course of action is, taking into account your personal support of the mission of the rally, and your duties and obligations to uphold the law. The proper course of action in this scenario is to assign a subordinate officer to identify the leader or the organizers of the event, and inform them of all of the permit requirements, local ordinances, and laws of the municipality which pertain to public gatherings. Ethical Dilemma 2: Chief’s Orders A decision was made to advise other police officers about the anonymous tip. The chief officer on duty advises you to take certain actions which you believe are improper and biased; you are faced with the dilemma of obeying what appears to be an unlawful order. This scenario requires you to balance between following the order of a superior officer, and performing your own duties in accordance with the oath you took upon being sworn as a police officer. The proper course of action is to do both; follow the orders to the extent that the rally is not allowed, and perform your duty as a public servant. Ethical Dilemma 3 : Accepting Favors You discover that an officer from a neighboring police agency you are assigned to work with accepts gratuities on a regular basis; the officer justifies his actions, citing an “agreement” with members of the public. You are faced...
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...Understanding that a well know criminal is in the district does not negate the fact that he too, as a citizen, is protected by the law. "Police officers must uphold the law regardless of the offender's identity" (Pollock, 2013, p. 115). As an officer of the law, it is their duty to enforce the law and protect the community from crime ethically. In situation two, if a known criminal was the victim, I would know the ethical decision would be to treat this criminal's case as fairly as anyone else’s. After reading this incident, it reminded me a of a First 48 case where a suspected murderer was murdered. Despite knowing that the victim had killed a man and a woman, the detectives investigated his murder as they would do anyone else’s. The fact is that every crime has a criminal behind them. That criminal needs to be prosecuted in order to bring justice to the victim and to protect community. This criminal who stole the lawnmower may move on to steal from someone else, or even commit a larger crime. Although it may seem foolish to protect a criminal, the minor criminal is still a victim of a crime. I would not attempt to provide unfair service to the minor criminal during this incident, as that would compromise my integrity as an officer. By ignoring this crime, as an officer, I would give the community mixed signals about what I am there to do. I should send the signal that I am there to enforce the law at all times. However, this would not stop me from staying vigilant to any...
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...Ethics in Criminal Justice Administration Analysis CJHS/484 March 23, 2015 In this paper I will discuss and “analyze the relationship between ethics and professional behavior in the administration of the criminal justice system. Also discuss the role of critical thinking with the regards to the relationship to ethics and professional behavior” (The University of Phoenix, 2015). And a proposal a seminar on due process and how there are several steps that fall into the classification of the professional standards and values that have to do with the criminal justice system. The due process model meets the criteria for professional and ethical standards that are within the criminal justice system. The model goes to show that those in the criminal justice system is conducting themselves in a professional and ethical manor that uphold the rights of all those involved from inmates to co-workers within the criminal justice system. Due process model “is a type of justice system which is based on the principle that a citizen has some absolute rights and cannot be deprived of life liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards” ("USLegal: Due Process Model Law & Legal Definition", 2001-2015). “The due process generally requires fairness in government proceedings” ("USLegal: Due Process Model Law & Legal Definition", 2001-2015). In example a person that is charged with a crime has the right to counsel, “right to a speedy trial and to be heard and...
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...I work in the criminal justice system and every decision requested needs balancing concern. Our concern is prosecuting the guilty and respecting the right of the accused protecting the victims and creating a safe community. I work with my partner where we handle the majority of homicide cases in our town. A woman who was walking alone in the city was brutally raped, beaten and left for dead. After the attack the women was in coma. In that part of the city a young gang had been terrorizing people committing different types of crimes. Early that evening, a young man was seen in the area assaulting and threatening others, who were passing by where the attack took place. The respondent officials picked up two young men 14 years old near the location of the crime after they fled the scene and they were held for questioning by the police. My partner and I have been assigned to this case. We already apprehended the two male 14 year olds. They have previous criminal records for robbery and assault and are members of a gang. The law states that minors must be informed of their legal rights to have their parents present during the interview and the proper use of videotape during the interviews. In spite of this, my partner decides to push aside his ethical obligation and precede the interview alone with them without following the correct procedure. Our responsibility as law enforcement is to follow the guiding principle and moral standards of our police department and do what is right...
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...Running head: ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1 Facing Ethics in Criminal Justice Through a Christian Worldview Jordan Kopko A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in the Honors Program Liberty University Spring 2011 ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2 Acceptance of Senior Honors Thesis This Senior Honors Thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the Honors Program of Liberty University. ______________________________ Stephen Parke, J.D., L.L.M. Thesis Chair ______________________________ Charles Murphy, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ Shelah Simpson, M.A. Committee Member ______________________________ Brenda Ayres, Ph.D. Honors Director ______________________________ Date ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3 Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to express the need for young men and women in law enforcement to endure ethical dilemmas through a Christian worldview. Ethical dilemmas and moral struggles in the criminal justice field are described in detail throughout the thesis. In the decision-making process during an ethical dilemma, an officer with a Christian worldview should make better decisions with the added guidance from the Holy Spirit. This thesis delves into the different aspects of ethics including reasons why some police officers make immoral decisions. The ethical issues in criminal justice have been a problem in law enforcement...
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...Criminal Justice Ethics Paper Ethics - 232 September 28, 2013 Criminal Justice Ethics Paper A few months ago, a woman was brutally raped, beaten and left for dead. Since the attack she remains in a coma. This case has risen to national prominence as an example of how today’s youth no longer respects fundamental social values, television and video game violence has desensitized young men to the consequences of crimes such as assault and rape, and as a demonstration of the inability of the police to keep the streets safe for law-abiding citizens. My partner and I work in the criminal justice system as police officers and handle most of the homicide cases in our area. The publicity from this crime has placed our police department under pressure to send someone to trial for this crime immediately. A gang of young men were spotted in the areas where the victim was found assaulting and threatening people that were passing by. Two members of the gang were arrested. The two members are both male and 14 years of age that both have previous records of robbery and assault. Our obligation as police officers is to follow the policy and ethical standards of our police department and the law, which states, minors must be informed of their legal right to have their parents present during the interrogation and to use videotape during important interviews. However, my partner has pushed his ethical obligation aside and interviews both of the minors while deciding not to contact their...
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...submission of another person’s work represented as that of the Learner’s without properly citing the source of the work will be considered plagiarism and will result in an unsatisfactory grade for the work submitted or for the entire course, and may result in academic dismissal. | | | |CJ7011-8 |Gabriele Suboch | | | | |Ethics and Criminal Justice |Assess a Case Scenario to Foster a Culture of Ethics | | | | Faculty Use Only Running Head: CASE SCENARIO...
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...“Mill’s quote employs that distinction we made in Chapter 2 between values and goods that are intrinsic, and those that are instrumental. Recall that intrinsic goods are those things that are good in and of themselves or for their own sake; instrumental goods are those things that help us attain intrinsic goods. Thus, money is generally understood to be an instrumental good because its value lies in its ability to help us attain other things that are intrinsically good- by itself, money is of limited worth or utility. Happiness, however, is not a means to anything- we do not use it to get other things are desirable. Instead, we desire happiness because that state of being happy is, by itself, something we consider to be good. Knowing that happiness is the highest of the goods, we are in a better position to determine what constitutes good consequences, as well as what kinds of decisions and actions are morally permissible and desirable. Whereas happiness is intrinsically valuable, honesty, legal rights, and other moral values and principles must be thought of as valuable only instrumentally- only to the extent that they aid in realizing the ultimate goal of producing happiness. It may be the case that having legal rights aids in producing a more just society in which people are better able to pursue good lives. In this respect, legal rights may be morally desirable. However, the instrumental nature of legal rights also means that they can be trumped by other considerations in...
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...Ethical Dilemma Andrew Cantrell CJA/324 Larry Avallone January 20, 2014 Abstract Ethical decisions and the way that the police department handle situations is an extreme issue. When an officer in the department is witness to brutality or unethical behavior it is their duty report the incident to the proper person within the department. Unethical Decision Made In July of 2007, Christopher Dorner was a police officer for Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). At the time he was on patrol with a fellow female officer, Theresa Evans who was a veteran of the department. They received a call about a disturbance in a local neighborhood by a mentally ill man, Christopher Ghettler. During the arrest of Christopher Ghettler, Theresa Evans continued to kick the man twice in the chest and once in the face while he was being handcuffed. Christopher Dorner did not agree with the actions of his fellow officer and reported the actions that his fellow officer committed on this mentally unstable man. When it came time to write the report of the arrest on this man’s arrest, Theresa Evans requested that Christopher Dorner not report the brutality that took place during the arrest. With that request she was asking Christopher Dorner to be unethical and that became a serious dilemma for Dorner. Nature of the Dilemma He suppressed the information for two weeks, knowing that the LAPD had a “Blue Line” that he would cross if he went to authorities on the situation. The “Blue Line”...
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...Why is the philosophy of community policing different than other police approaches? (2) How and why is it difficult to implement the philosophy of community policing? Remember, you must use at least one quote from the text in this assignment. Respond to at least three of your classmates. There are many different approaches when it comes to policing such as the watchman, legalistic, and service styles. There is also traditional, problem-oriented, zero-tolerance and community policing, which I will be addressing. Many people think of police as guardians of the community and although this may be true, not all police have the task of looking after the actual community. The array of job descriptions varies but all serve a purpose in the justice system. I will go over why the philosophy of community policing is different than other police approaches, why it is difficult to implement, the philosophy of community policing, and how it is similar to different types or styles of policing. According to Fuller (2014) “While the police have traditionally defined their primary mission in terms of crime control, community policing seeks to broaden the police role to include such issues as fear of crime, order maintenance, conflict resolution, neighborhood decay, and social and physical disorder as basic responsibilities”(p. 234). The philosophy of community policing is different than other police approaches because in this style of policing the officers are in touch with the citizens...
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...govern the assembly of people for the purpose of holding a protest rally. A peaceful demonstration or assembly can be a productive way to express what we feel is wrong with our government. While such a protest is considered a part of our first amendment rights, most cities do require a permit in an effort to help avoid traffic and crowd problems. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees individuals the right of freedom of assembly. Under the Common Law and modern statutes, however, the meeting of three or more persons may constitute an unlawful assembly if the persons have an illegal purpose or if their meeting will breach the public peace of the community. If they actually execute their purpose, they have committed the criminal offense of riot. Even as a police officer you strongly support Article 2 of the Constitution. Which includes "the right of the people to bear arms." The U.S. Supreme Court stated that the militia reference doesn't limit arms to only law enforcement and the military. Most Americans have a constitutional right to own guns for the purpose of self-defense or certain legal activities, such as hunting or target practice. The fact if a rally does not have a permit as a police officer you need to advise your fellow police officers about the...
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...Cover (host, time, place): Ethics in Criminal Justice Attendees: Law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and professionals within the criminal justice profession. 5 areas of ethical conduct: 1. Proper use of professional and ethical authority It is common for criminal justice professionals to act beyond the limits of their authority. Proper training to help officers learn to control their actions and to uphold their reputation will reflect positively on the agency. 2. Racial Discrimination Both fellow employees and the community are affected by discrimination in law enforcement. Treating all individuals fairly and ethically will show proper professional behavior, and help them be a positive role model for the criminal justice system. 3. Bribes Unethical behavior included the acceptance of gifts for bribes from the community, agencies, criminals, or fellow co-workers in return for special treatment. 4. Honesty Trust is necessary for a positive professional relationship with the community. Immoral or deceiving actions cause a lack of trust in the criminal justice profession. Law enforcement officers are held to a higher ethical standard because of their role to keep the community safe. They take an oath of office, are expected to comply with professional code of ethics, and are subject to various laws, rules, and regulations (Gleason, 2006). 5. Excessive force Officers need to be able to think critically in stressful situations, and learn to react...
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...Ethics and Leadership in Criminal Justice 1 Final Exam 1. Universal responsibility. I’d like to start out by defining the two.1. Universal-means of or pertaining to the universe, all nature, or all existing things. 2.Responsibility-to make one's actions and task their own, the willing acceptance of the consequences of my actions. Individuals, Institutions, Governments and International organizations make judgment about what is just and what is unjust based on a complex and general frameworks of moral and political values. These frameworks vary considerably across cultures and over time, but through the centuries prophets, philosophers and other intellectuals have repeatedly attempted to identify common ground that would allow all human beings in their own and in successive generations to agree on definitions of right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust. By far the greatest single danger facing humankind – in fact, all living beings on our planet-is the threat of nuclear destruction. I would like to appeal to the leaders of the nuclear powers who literally hold the future of the world and their hands, to the scientists and technicians who continue to create these awesome weapons of destruction, and to all the people at large who are in a position to influence their leaders I appeal to them to exercise their sanity and began to work at dismantling and destroying all nuclear weapons, because we all know that in...
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