JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)

COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

Police Ethics
Introduction:

The police must apply the law fairly, even handed with a view to promote justice. Laws
are created by legislatures presumably for the best interest of all the people.

Philippines, like other countries is a country of laws and constitutional principles, the
main purpose of which is to create a society where everybody is free to pursue what he or she,
individually believes is the good in life.

The police ethics outline certain behaviour that police must understand the true meaning
of justice before acting and must behave in an honourable way as law enforcer. The police
must be fair in the application of the laws of the land to everybody irrespective of the status of
said individual in a given community.

Let’s us begin!

Learning Outcomes:

1. define police ethics.

2. recognize the need for police to study ethics.
3. practice the professional code of ethics.

Acquire New Knowledge

Here is your ninth lesson – Read and learn.

Lesson 9. Police Ethics and Ethics in Law Enforcement and Policing

Police Ethics –Refers to a system of moral values that are generally accepted as professional
standards in policing.

The police make the written laws of the penal code come to life for the public

Most analysts and well informed police officers believe that no matter with the law
states, no matter how penal code sections read, no matter what training teaches, and no
matter what police leadership may want to tell us, the true meaning of the law on the streets is
determined by police officers.

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 JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

Ethics in Law Enforcement and Policing

It’s often said that no other profession demands a higher ethical standard than that law
enforcement. Regardless of whether or not there are other careers that require a similar
dedication to doing the right thing, it is undeniable that there is an understandably tremendous
degree of expectations placed upon police officers.

Police Officers must live in a Fishbowl

Every officer knows or at least should know by now that they live in a fishbowl. Friends,
relatives, neighbors, and strangers watch every move law enforcement officers make, both on
and off duty. The fact is that the public scrutinizes police officers more than most other
professions because they are cynical and hope to catch them screwing up or because they are
hopeful and are looking for a good example and a strong leader. In either case, it’s up to the
officer to be above reproach I both his public and private life.

Definition of justice

Justice as process – Justice prevails when people under similar circumstances are
treated in an equal and fair manner before the law.

Justice as substance – Justice prevails when people receive from the law what they
deserve to receive.

The three (3) major functions of the police which are admittedly vague and often in conflict
with each other

1. Enforce the law

2. Maintain order
3. Provide community service

Acquire New Knowledge

Here is your tenth lesson – Read and learn.

Lesson 10.The need for the Police to Study Ethics and Professional Code of Ethics

Why is it important for the police officers today to discuss morality in relation to their
work? Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Limited Police Academy Training in Ethics

2. Limited Academic Training in Ethics
3. The intellectual Capabilities Training in Ethics
Limited Police Academy Training Ethics

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 JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

A systematic treatment of ethics, even if in a short period is necessary to make the

connection between the police officer’s duty ad the common good of the community. Several
police officers were charged for misconduct while in the performance of their duties maybe due
to the insufficiency of their knowledge of what ought to be competent and a professional
officer- a person who possesses and exhibits good character.

Limited Academic Training in Ethics

An increasing number of police recruits who are graduates of Criminology have only six
units in Ethics which is inadequate for them to exercise their profession as a true professional
police officer. Existing criminal justice ethics classes tend to discuss ethics from the positive
perspective starting with philosophical considerations of ethics in general and move through
analysis of what it means to be a professional police officer.

The Intellectual Capabilities of Today’s Officer

A professional, knowledgeable, competent, and effective police officer must want to

include in his or her body of knowledge about the world of understanding of what ethics means.
Public expectations of police competence, is an officer with a clear, ethical understanding of the
job and possess good moral character.

Definition of a Professional

1. A professional is anyone who does a job for pay ( A professional athlete as

compared to an amateur).
2. A professional is anyone who looks clean cut, disciplined, and polished when on a
job (a military standard).
3. A professional is anyone who develops and uses a special skill at work (a carpenter
or a plumber).
4. A professional is anyone who possesses an academic experience and possesses a
body of knowledge that is unknown to lay people ( a physician, lawyer, engineer, or
teacher)

Professional possess

1. Knowledge
2. Education
3. Regulation
4. Discipline
5. Problem solving
Knowledge – a systematically organized body of knowledge that lay people (non-professionals)
do not understand.

Education – an academic experience that involves studying and learning. This systematically
organized body of knowledge within a wider a conceptual framework.

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 JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

Regulation – self regulation, standards of education and licensing that are set by member of the
profession themselves, normally controlled by professional, organizations such as PCAP
(Professional Criminologists’ Association of the Philippines), PEACE ( Philippine Educators’
Association of Criminology Education), Federation of Authors in Criminology and Criminal Justice
Inc (FACCI) etc.

Discipline – self policing, investigation, and disciplining of members accused of misconduct by

their peer professionals.

Problem Solving – done in a collegial manner; all licensed members of the profession are co-
equal partner in problem solving – using their expertise and insight to solve problems together.

The professional Officer (William K Muir) possesses:

1. Passion
2. Perspective
Passion – the understanding that resorting to violence or threats is ethically acceptable if and
only if it is done in the interest of justice and in accordance with the welfare of the community;
that no guilt need to be associated with pain or unpleasantness of using force.

Perspective – the development of an inner understanding of the motives of the people, a sense
of life’s causes and effects, and a knowledge of the tragedy of life (that all people suffer,
sometimes, that everyone yearns for some dignity, and that no individual is worthless.

Professional Code of Ethics

Every criminal justice profession and association has “codes” of ethics, “canons” of
professional responsibility, “statements” of values, “principles” of conduct, “standards” of
practice, and “oaths” of office, along with “pledges”, “vows”, “maxims”, “credos”, “prayers”,
“tenets”, and “declarations”.

The practice of a profession cannot be regulated entirely by legislation. Each profession

therefore subscribes to a set moral code. This Code of Ethics guides the actuation of
professional where the law is silent or inadequate.

A code of ethics implies that, before anything else, a professional is a person who has
the obligation to listen to the “dictates of reason”. The need for it is obviously to the advantage
of the profession.

Some important steps to follow

1. Get started on your code of ethical conduct.

Following recent global corporate events and scandals, we have become increasingly
aware of the need for ethical business conduct.

2. Conduct initial research.

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 JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

As a first step, check the two important ingredients:

2.1 . Investigate any current legislative requirements guiding ethical conduct in

your field, and be prepared to take immediate action if nay anomalies are
uncovered.
2.2 Check the top-five traits or values espoused by your own professional
association.

3. Secure commitment
Staffs needs to see that management is serious about ethical conduct and not just
protecting itself and its interests.
4. Focus on your organization
Try this three-step approach:

4.1. Identify and collect descriptions of major issues in your workplace.

4.2. Select those issues considered to be ethical in nature-dishonesty,
discrimination, unfairness, etc.
4.3. Identify behaviors needed too eliminate the causes of those issues and which
values would generate your preferred behaviors.
5. Consider social audit.
A social audit involves asking employees, customers, suppliers, and other
stakeholders whether they believe the organization meets its stated aims on key
issues such as customer service, honesty, integrity, etc.

6. Assemble high-priority ethical values

From your various forms of data collection, compile a top-ten list of ethical values.
Your lists will probably ressemble existing values lists, such as the Josephson
Institute of Ethics “Pillars of Character”.

7. Compose and circulate a draft code.

Having arrived at your top-ten ethical values, align key behaviors with each of them.
In addition to your top-ten, you could document requirements in relation to, for
example, dress codes, substance abuse, promptness, adhering to instructions from
superiors, conflict of interest, reliability, confidentiality, acceptance of gifts from
stakeholders.

Your completed draft will probably include:

1. An introduction
2. A clear definition of mission, obejectives, and values.
3. Guidance on dealings with colleagues, shareholders, stakeholders, suppliers,
and the community.
4. Clear expectations of acceptable conduct
5. Operating principles and realistic examples

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 JOHN B LACSON MARITIME UNIVERSITY (AREVALO)
COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

6. A formal mechanism for resolving issues.

8.adopt the final code.

Provide everyone in the organization with a copy of the code, and include it in
induction programs, staff training, and performance appraisals.

9.institute a procedure for dealing with issues.

Appoint an internal ethics management committee, which will, among other things, elect
an ethics officer who is ideally a member of executive.

10.review bi-annually

To review ethical issues too frequently will risk alienating staff. Indeed, the review
process must be quick, to the point, involve representatives of all areas of the organization, and
acknowledge examples