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DeAnna Brewster
Professor John Hill
Criminal Justice 1010
15 April 1016
E-Portfolio Link: http://deannabrewster-portfolio.weebly.com/criminal-justice-1010.html

Police Professional Courtesy

Professional courtesy refers to an understanding that exists between individuals within
the same profession (mainly medicine and police work) and certain individuals with whom they
may come into contact in the course of their duties, especially family members or others working
in their field. It is a form of respect among people in the same line of work (Wikipedia, 2016).
The term Professional Courtesy has been used within the law enforcement profession to
refer to the practice of law enforcement officers allowing other officers to break minor laws like
traffic violations and other crimes without being reported or arrested. Even some serious offenses
such as drunk driving are subject to professional courtesy discretion.
In my opinion I do believe that officers should be able to exercise professional courtesy
to other police officers for minor offenses that do not put the public at risk. An on duty police
officer can use discretion on minor violations without fear of repercussions. This consideration is
extended to every day citizens and most definitely should also be extended to off-duty cops. I
think it helps with moral within the police departments because officers are not afraid that being

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pulled over for minor offenses that would cause them to have to be called in front of the brass,
disciplined or jeopardize their careers. This also helps to keep the police officers where they need
to be fighting crime, not fighting each other, which in turn, helps with public safety within our
communities. However, I do think that professional courtesy goes both ways. Professional
courtesy should be viewed as a gift not as a right or an entitlement. This is where I think the
ethical issues come in. Just as citizens are expected to obey the laws, so should off duty police
officers. Off duty police officers can do things to make the on duty police officers job easier by
also showing professional courtesy in return when they are off duty so that the on duty police
officer is not put in an awkward position. Some examples of this are (Marcou, 2012),
1.) Set your cruise control to the speed limit.
2.) Stop completely for stop signs.
3.) Do not deliberately speed through a radar zone to get a rise out of a fellow officer.
4.) Obtain a designated driver when you socially drink off duty.
5.) Do not commit crimes.
6.) Do not possess an attitude that you are above the law.
As goes life we all make mistakes and if an on duty police officer pulls over an off duty police
officer for one of those minor mistakes I honestly believe that professional courtesy should be
given.
Unfortunately, there are also those people who can spoil it for everyone especially those who
think they are entitled and think they are above the law. In these instances the police officers

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were not committing minor offenses therefore professional courtesy would not or should not
have been a consideration. Some of these cases include (Marcou, 2012);
Sgt. Drew Peterson was recently convicted of killing his wife after a lengthy
investigation.
Officer Tyler Peterson killed six and wounded one then attempted to kill a fellow officer
Bobbie Lee Cutts Jr. killed the mother of his unborn daughter and wrapped her body in
carpet for disposal their two-year-old son was a witness.
Officer Antoinette Frank killed her partner and two others and staged a robbery to cover
up the homicide.
Officer Len Davis arranged for a hit on a witness who filed a complaint against him.
Unfortunately these types of cases lead the general public to believe that professional courtesy
can lead to corruption. That is why its so important for our officers to have integrity, follow the
rules and uphold the law.
Professional courtesy is a tradition. It is part of the culture of police work. Police officers
should be able to go the extra mile for one another, and should not be done away with, when
used correctly it establishes and binds unity within the police force that builds trust within the
profession.

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Works Cited
Group, L. e. (Ed.). (2004, September 9). Law enforcement Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2016,
from NJ Lawman.com: http://www.njlawman.com/feature%20pieces/Professional
%20Courtesy.htm
Marcou, L. D. (2012, October 12). Professional courtesy: The badge on the uniform trumps the
badge in the wallet. Retrieved from Policeone.com: https://www.policeone.com/offduty/articles/6009787-Professional-courtesy-The-badge-on-the-uniform-trumps-thebadge-in-the-wallet/
Wikipedia. (2016, April 15). Wikipedia. Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_courtesy