Importance of integrity as a person and as a police officer

The integrity of a person is defined by the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (IACP) as the quality of a person being the same in both public and private life, thereby affecting every aspect of an individual’s life. One can be fully honest in all facets of life, both professionally and personally, if they have integrity. Integrity can also be thought of as a value that includes other values like perseverance, intelligence and courage therefore it is an option of values and making a firm choice to live and abide by those values which will in turn shape both your personality and character. All other values contained in an individual are enhanced by integrity, it can therefore be concluded that how well you live up to the values that are most important to you determines the quality of the person you are. Your values are locked in by the quality of integrity and causes consistency in how one lives with them Love (2004).

In matters of law enforcement, there must be existence of an uncompromising and solid standard for people to follow which is referred to as the Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics is a document that places down principles and values through which the conduct of law enforcement personnel is governed. In addition Integrity and morality which are considered significant key factors in ethics can be used to demonstrate characteristics of individuals in and out of law enforcement. In addition, the importance of ethics is not to understand it philosophically but rather to improve our lives (Lafollette, 2007).

Our lives and the lives of the people surrounding us are improved in terms of value by the mere fact of being moral which is a key value in integrity. Striving to live a morally upright life and forming moral decisions in every part of one’s life eventually rewards when one comes across a grave moral predicament in life and that is why according to Lafollette (2007) like every other aspect in life, integrity is something that has to be practiced and endeavored effortlessly in order to achieve.

Integrity and moral behavior can be considered as the most important qualities for both a model citizen and an individual making an application for a job as a law enforcement officer. Indication of integrity is a must for individuals who want to be officers of the law. In some occasions an application may have been made by an individual who might have been involved in activities that may be considered immoral and without integrity which is often expected, employers in law enforcement will however reject an application from an applicant if a revealing pattern of behavior which lack integrity is detected. Law enforcement agencies consider a past life which lacked integrity as a sign of poor performance in the future. It therefore of uttermost importance that proper utilization of recruitment and intensive training be made essential to root out applicants with immoral characteristics who do not display integrity in pursuit of morally upright individuals within policing.

How not reporting integrity issues can affect your own integrity

Our lives and the lives of the people surrounding us are improved in terms of value by the mere fact of being moral. Striving to live a morally upright life and forming moral decisions in every part of one’s life eventually rewards when one comes across a grave moral predicament in life and that is why according to Lafollette (2007) like every other aspect in life, integrity and ethics are values that have to be practiced and endeavored effortlessly in order to achieve. In the path to achieve ethics, development and comprehending of one’s virtues is necessary because missing an opportunity to apply integrity yet one is having in mind how one is required to conduct him or herself is a clear sign of the need to enhance ones moral vision. In addition, failure to report integrity issues can lead to one eventually taking part in activities which can be considered having little or no integrity.

Discuss a significant event that has been on the news in which there was an integrity issue involving a police officer and how it brought discredit to all law enforcement

According to the IACP (2000), public trust is defined as a charge of duty towards those you serve which is imposed in faith. Trust which is placed upon law enforcement agents by the public is shaken when poor decisions which lack integrity made by officers of the law are made public. According to Giovanni Sartor (2003) who is a noted sociologist, he clearly states that in the absence of trust there would be an end to co-operation which would lead to a collapse to the whole fabric of society. For centuries, in an effort to maintain the public’s trust law enforcement personnel have worked tirelessly but in a very short span of time that trust can quickly fade away.

An example is the case of Rodney king, where footage was captured in March 1991 by an amateur photographer by the name of George Holliday which showcased several white officers of Los Angeles beating King using their batons which lead to him becoming a symbol of police brutality. This particular incident resulted to massive loss of confidence in communities for police departments. This can be regarded as an example of discredit and loss of trust not only to Los Angeles Police Department but all law enforcement agencies which was as a result of lack of integrity by four law enforcement officers.

In conclusion, the absence of integrity and ethical conduct brings about loss in legitimacy by the police and without the presence legitimacy the police are not well equipped to perform their duties in enforcing the law Punch (2009). In order to uphold the law and achieve justice, presence of integrity, ethical and moral discretion as core values by law enforcement personnel is crucial and must be made a routine on a day to day basis in order to risk losing confidence, trust and most importantly legitimacy.

Works Cited

International Association of Chiefs of Police. 2000. Retrieved from:

http://www.theiacp.org/PoliceServices/ProfessionalAssistance/Ethics/WhatistheLawEnfo

rcementOathofHonor/tabid/150/Default.aspx

Lafollette, H. The Practice of Ethics. 2007 Malden, ME: Blackwell Publishing.

Love, J. JLM and Associates. 2004 Retrieved from:

http://www.theiacp.org/PoliceServices/ProfessionalAssistance/Ethics/WhatistheLawEnfo

rcementOathofHonor/tabid/150/Default.aspx

Punch, M. Police Corruption: Deviance Accountability and Reform in Policing.

Portland, Oregon: Willan Publishing. 2003

Sartor, Giovanni. Trust, Reliance, Good Faith and the Law. Proceedings of the First

International Conference on Trust Management. 2003