Ethics of Law Enforcement Research Essay

My expectations and disappointment

My expectations were raised by the titles of the pieces, which led me to believe that I would be reading a lengthy piece that included a link to a video. All of my joy, however, was dashed when I read the story and discovered there was no video uploaded and it was a brief one. There is a common belief that law enforcement should adhere to higher moral standards than any other job. (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2017). Law enforcement officials closely monitor the public’s behavior and frequently question it. Issues that are contentious are frequently published. Good news is less likely to reach the news than bad news, even when it does. The ethical issue arising is taking a short nap while on duty which may tamper with the safety of the neighborhood as the public has entrusted them with the duty to protect and serve them (Arsenaut, 2011). Officers are faced with ethical dilemmas in their everyday lives as they are people who are not immune to feelings especially mistrust. When promotions are not merit based, public safety is compromised due to the decreased staff morale and incompetent personnel in authority positions (Braswell et al., 2017).

Effects of shift work and fatigue

Police work has its basis on shift work and agencies should understand the effect of their decisions. Many officers are required to work while most of the community sleeps and are later expected to commit to other businesses during working hours. This may breed fatigue which in the context of public safety can result in death (Violanti, 2017). Controlled sleeping, and appropriate shift lengths and scheduling will help reduce high-liability incidences like traffic accidents. Therefore, rather than defaulting snoozing on duty implies that an officer is shirking his/her duties, countermeasures of sleep deprivation should be put in place. Officers should maintain at all times ethical principles like justice and non-maleficence by ensuring equality in the law-enforcement systems and also making sure that their activities do no harm to others (Violanti, 2017).

Conclusion

Leadership in the law-enforcements departments should be service-centered to eradicate ethical dilemmas. Each officer is required to maintain the public trust to maintain the profession’s reputation.

References

Arsenaut, J. (2011, February 27). Cops under investigation in Quebec for snoozing in vehicle; video posted online. Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved February 12th , 2014 from http://www.winnipeghreepress.com/breakinfnews/cops-under-investigation-in-Quebec-for-snoozing-in-vehicle-video-posted-online-116849668.html

Braswell, M. C., McCarthy, B. R., & McCarthy, B. J. (2017). Justice, crime, and ethics. Taylor & Francis.

Violanti, J. M. (2017, September). Shift Work and Fatigue Among Police Officers: The BCOPS Study. In WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY (Vol. 65, No. 9, pp. 407-408). 2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91320 USA: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC.