Free Essay

Criminal Law - Police Officers

In: Other Topics

Submitted By lgarcia5
Words 1902
Pages 8
You are the chief of police in a city of 250,000 residents. Within the last 18 months there have been three well-documented cases of suicide by cop (suicidal persons who engage in life threatening behavior to force officers to shoot them to end their own lives)within your jurisdiction. Would you develop a policy to help police officers deal with this issue, and if so what would you include in that policy?

Incidents in which police officers shoot and kill citizens often provoke substantial controversy . And this is even more true where the shooting occurs as a consequence of a person ‘s own provocative behavior and in circumstances that be defined as amounting to a victim provoked shooting or a victim precipitated shooting . Where death occurs it may be victim precipitated homicide , and in other terms as suicide by cop .Despite the fact that such events are surprisingly common , the literature is unexpectedly sparse and is often , lacking in empirical study . Outside the law enforcement community , the existence of the phenomenon is not well known and is certainly too often seriously misunderstood . But understanding suicide itself will help to give some understanding to this type of assisted suicide and how it is seen in the eyes of a criminologist . First I want to examine the criminologist perspective of suicide and this was first introduced by Emile Durkheim with his research on suicide that laid the foundation for anomie or strain theory . Anomic suicide ,he postulated , occurs when rapid or extreme social change or crisis threatens group norms . People become uncertain of the appropriateness of their behavior . This results in a state of confusion or normlessness . Durkheim ‘s examples referred to the higher suicide rates during wars and revolutions as well as during periods of economic recession , depression , or advancement . Durkheim considered fatalistic and anomic suicides as opposites , that is , the former reflecting over-control while the latter represents a lack of normative control…
Police officers reacting to the aftermath of "suicide by cop" will often display symptoms of post-traumatic stress which can potentially affect their ability to perform their duties. Police officers are also victims in these cases. Among the many symptoms reported are hypervigilance, fear, anger, sleeplessness, recurrent nightmares and depression.
In many instances, the timing, speed at which the encounter escalated and officer's perception of immediate danger to self or others left him or her with no choice but to use deadly force. Yet, second-guessing on the part of the officer is common.

Explain how criminal justice employees are protected by employment laws. Why is it important to have these safeguards in place?
Select a United States Supreme Court decision regarding sexual harassment. Cite and examine both dissenting and assenting arguments and assess which is most appropriate. Assess how the case will impact current employment and policy law.
In landmark decisions, women won greater protection against sexual harassment in the workplace but lost ground on harassment in schools. Furthermore, the Court's majority endorsed gender-based stereotypes of the parental responsibilities of unwed mothers versus unwed fathers.
High Hurdles in School Harassment
School districts cheered and feminists jeered when the Supreme Court held in Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District that school officials are not responsible for a teacher's sexual harassment of a student unless they actually knew of the behavior and purposely looked the other way. In Gebser, Alida Gebser, a high school student, sued her school district for sexual harassment based upon the illicit actions of her teacher, Frank Waldrup. Waldrup instigated sexual relations with Gebser, coupled with suggestive comments in the classroom, when she was 14 years old and continued this behavior until discovered by the police approximately 1½ years later. Gebser had not reported the relationship to school officials, testifying that she was unsure what to do and didn't want to lose Waldrop as a teacher; however, other parents had complained to the prinicpal about Waldrop's use of inappropriate comments in class. Gebser's suit claimed that under Title IX the school district was vicariously liable for Waldrup's illicit behavior. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that liability under Title IX does not extend to a school district unless an official "who at a minimum has authority to institute corrective measures on the district's behalf has actual notice of, and is deliberately indifferent to, the teacher's misconduct." NOW Executive Vice President Kim Gandy noted that "The Court has created a 'smoking gun' requirement which places a heavy burden on the student by completely disregarding the emotional and psychological characteristics of sexual harassment. The dynamics of harassment often involve an aggressor who holds a position of power over the target, which is especially intensified in a teacher-student relationship." The only hope now for easing this burdensome standard lies within Congress. According to the Court, "Until Congress speaks directly on the subject . . we will not hold a school district liable in damages under Title IX for a teacher's sexual harassment of a student absent actual notice and deliberate indifference."

Disappointment from the Gebser decision was counterbalanced with elation at overwhelming victories in two landmark cases that expanded the scope of employer liability for sexual harassment by supervisors.
In Ellerth v. Burlington Industries, Kimberly Ellerth sued her former employer under Title VII for sexual harassment based upon the inappropriate and threatening behavior of Theodore Slowik, then vice president of sales and marketing for Burlington Industries. The harassment, which included unwanted touching and threats to her job security, began during her initial interview for the position in 1993 and persisted until Ellerth eventually resigned in 1994. Burlington argued that Ellerth was not financially encumbered by the harassment and that, as a result, Burlington was not liable under Title VII. The Supreme Court held, in a 7-2 decision, that even if an employee does not suffer any financially-tangible, job-related harm from a supervisor's sexual harassment, she or he may still hold the employer liable for other forms of injury. If a supervisor threatens to fire an employee unless she submits to his sexual advances and fulfills that threat when she refuses, such behavior constitutes a tangible employment action. Traditionally, an employer has always been liable for the behavior of its supervisors if it resulted in some employment action. Now, according to the Court, even if there is no tangible employment action, an employer will still be liable for the hostile work environment created by a supervisor with authority over the employee. Prior to this decision, if plaintiffs wanted to recover damages from employers, they were forced to prove that the offending supervisor's behavior was in the scope of his employment, that is, within his authority as a supervisor. With the Court's ruling in Ellerth, plaintiffs are freed from this unduly burdensome and difficult-to-prove step. The plaintiff in Faragher v. The City of Boca Raton, Beth Faragher, was a lifeguard for the city of Boca Raton from 1985 to 1990. During this period, Faragher and several other female lifeguards experienced blatant and pervasive sexual harassment from their supervisors. The city's sexual harassment policy was virtually non-existent when Faragher brought suit against the city, claiming that it should be held liable for the harassment committed by its supervisory employees. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that an employer is liable for the sexual harassment perpetrated by a supervisor with immediate (or successively higher) authority over the sexually harassed employee unless the employer can show (1) that it exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior and (2) that the plaintiff employee unreasonably failed either to take advantage of any preventative or corrective opportunities provided by the employer or to avoid harm otherwise. The Court was quick to point out that its opinion does not hold employers automatically liable for sexual harassment by supervisory employees, but in order to escape liability the burden is on the employer to show that it had an effective sexual harassment policy and that the plaintiff did not take advantage of an available remedy. While this decision is positive in many ways, the Court does not clarify what it would regard as reasonable behavior "to avoid harm otherwise" on the part of the sexually harassed employee. "The feminist victory in this case is greater employer liability for sexual harassment committed by supervisory employees," said Gandy, "But we must be wary of the expectations lower courts might impose upon women to prevent or correct the sexual harassment they are experiencing from their supervisors."
Sex-Role Stereotypes Reinforced
Unlike the Supreme Court's decisions in Ellerth and Faragher, which will serve to encourage equality in our society, the Court's ruling in Miller v. Albright upheld a section of the United States Code which encourages sex-role stereotypes of unwed mothers versus unwed fathers. In Miller, the plaintiff was born out of wedlock in 1970 in the Philippines to a mother who is a Filipino national and a father who is a U.S. citizen. Federal immigration law requires that a child born out of wedlock in another country to an alien mother and a U.S. father must prove that she is the daughter of the citizen father before the age of 18 in order to acquire citizenship. However, if an out-of-wedlock child is born to a U.S. mother and an alien father, she does not have to undergo the same formal proof requirement. The plaintiff in this case alleged that the two different standards for unwed mothers and unwed fathers of foreign-born children violated her father's equal protection right under the Fifth Amendment. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that while the standard was not the same for both sexes, this difference is not a violation of the Fifth Amendment's Equal Protection clause because a "child's blood relationship to its birth mother is immediately obvious and is typically established by hospital records and birth certificates, but the relationship to the unmarried father may often be undisclosed and unrecorded in any contemporary public record." The dissenting Justices pointed out that the law unconstitutionally classifies people on the basis of sex by relying on the familiar stereotypes of mothers as being responsible for a child born out of wedlock while unmarried fathers are not. The Court's decision allows the law to treat mothers one way and fathers another.
The Supreme Court's opinions this season have not consistently furthered women's rights in the legal arena. These decisions result in mixed messages about the power dynamics between men and women in this society: while it will be easier to hold employers liable for sexual harassment perpetrated in the workplace, it will be harder to hold school districts liable for sexual harassment committed by teachers in the course of the student-teacher relationship; while Ellerth and Faragher will force individuals to make a connection between sexual harassment and the imbalance of power between men and women, Miller reinforces age-old stereotypes of women as primary caregivers and nurturers. Thus, despite the gains feminists have made through the courts, there is still a need for fervent activism in order to achieve the equality women seek.

Assume that you are a police sergeant who supervises ten patrol officers on your squad. You have noticed signs of alcohol abuse regarding two of your officers. What steps would you take to remedy this situation?

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Paper

...Author Bio Gemma Halliday is a teaching assistant in the School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration at Western Illinois University, where she has commenced study on a Master of Science in Kinesiology and exercise science. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) from Bond University Australia, where she was awarded undergraduate outstanding academic achievement. She is a recent graduate of Western Illinois University with a Master of Arts in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, and was made a member of both Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key International Honor Societies. Ms. Halliday has worked with and studied criminal justice issues in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Her current research interests include transnational sex and drug trafficking, and police fitness testing and standards. LEJA 518 - Issues paper: Police discretion. Gemma L. Halliday Western Illinois University “Enforcing the law without fear or favor” (Goldstein, 1963, p. 141). The very nature of police work is extremely complex in today’s society. Police officers play an important role comprising of many different tasks concerning; actually enforcing the criminal law, performing order maintenance and other miscellaneous services. It is through these duties and services that police are constantly intersecting and interacting with the community on a daily basis. Thus,...

Words: 5049 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Police Pursuits: a Necessary Evil

...Since the birth of law enforcement police officers have always had to pursue the criminal. These pursuits started on foot, advanced to horseback and finally the automobile. Any one of these methods of pursuits of criminals can be dangerous, but with the creation of the automobile, high speed pursuits became more deadly. In the field of Law Enforcement, there are many inherent dangers that can cause injury or even death to police officers and civilians. New recruits train hours in the art of driving at close range and high rates of speed. Yet when it comes to actual pursuits, it is all dependent on the officer and the choices he or she makes, whether or not to pursue the criminal. There have been many of studies discussing whether or not police officers should engage in the pursuit when the criminal does not yield to the police officers sirens. On the other hand, the effectiveness of apprehending a criminal out shines the negatives in police pursuits. In this research paper, I will be discussing the disagreements about police pursuit driving and why it is such an ongoing issue in law enforcement. Also, I will be discussing my thoughts and opinions regarding this issue. In regard to the issue of police pursuits, many people argue that police pursuit driving is inherently dangerous because of the amount of civilian deaths that have occurred. For instance, in the article “High-Speed Police Pursuits” by John Hill, Hill stated that, “one person dies every day as a result...

Words: 1337 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Critical Issues Paper

...Critical Issues Paper Jonathon James CJS/210 August 11, 2012 Kimberly Gonzales Critical Issues Paper The job of a police officer can be a very dangerous and demanding job at times, but having new advances in technology can help make the job a little easier and safer for officers on duty. Some types of technology that law enforcement agencies use today are facial recognition software, fingerprint identification systems, global positioning systems, closed-circuit television, and cross. Facial recognition software is a database of criminal mug shots that is used throughout all police agencies to positively identify a criminal. Having this technology makes positively identifying a criminal faster and more reliable. The fingerprint identification system is very similar to facial recognition software but instead of faces, it uses fingerprints to identify criminals when they are brought in to police custody. Global positioning systems or (GPS) for short is a satellite-based technology that is used by law enforcement agencies to track the movement of patrol or specially equipped stolen vehicles like for example, bait cars. GPS can also be used to track criminals that have been released from incarceration and placed on house arrest. Before they are released from incarceration these criminals are fitted for some sort of tracking device, that is usually placed on the ankle of the individual, to make sure that they do not leave their homes without a good cause; such as a job, grocery...

Words: 1235 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Organized Crime

...Police Corruption Criminal Justice Ethics Police Corruption Police corruption refers to the misuse of police authority for personal gain. Officers use their position by act or omission, to obtain improper financial benefit. Corruption can be limited to one or two police officers or spread throughout a whole police department (Pollock, 2012, p. 178). Police abuse of authority has been categorized in three groups, which are: • Physical abuse – This is where police officers use excessive force and instill physical harassment to suspected law offenders. • Psychological abuse – This is when a police officer has features like disrespect, harassment, ridicule, excessive stops and intimidation. • Legal abuse – This is where police officers perform unlawful searches and seizures, and conceals manufacturing evidence of various illegal goods (Pollock, 2012, p. 178). I general, the most common police corruption practices include: • Mooching - officers obtaining free meals, alcohol, grocery or other items. • Prejudice - This is a form of racism where officers give the non-white less than impartial treatment. • Extortion - This happens where police officers demand money in exchange for not filling traffic tickets. • Chiseling - Officers demand for free admission to entertainment joints. • Shakedown - This is where police officers take expensive items for personal use and attribute their loss...

Words: 1220 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police and Law Enforcement

...Police and Law Enforcement In the United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for an arrest, when criminal charges are being considered. It is also refers to the standards which a grand jury believes that a crime has been committed. The term comes from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. In the criminal arena probable cause is important in two respects. First, police must possess probable cause before they may search a person or a person’s property, and they must possess it before they may arrest a person. Second, in most criminal cases the court must find that probable cause exists to believe that the defendant committed the crime before the defendant may be prosecuted. There are some exceptions to these general rules. Police may briefly detain and conduct a limited search of a person in a public place if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime. Reasonable suspicion is a level of belief that is less than probable cause. The requirement of probable cause for a search and seizure can be found in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Probable cause can exist even when there is some doubt as to the person’s guilt. Courts take care to review the actions of police in the context of everyday life, balancing the interests of law enforcement against the...

Words: 1000 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Ethics in Criminal Justice

...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 for years...

Words: 8552 - Pages: 35

Premium Essay

Disadvantages of the Exclusionary Rule

...Rule was established to deter police misconduct in obtaining evidence. The doctrine stipulates that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment cannot be used as proof of the defendant’s guilt in criminal court. However, the Exclusionary Rule has had adverse effects. For instance, it has negatively influenced the conduct of police officers. It is apparent in their disregard of the law to secure convictions. Officers have even resorted to lying under oath before judges to ensure evidence is admitted in court. Matters are made worse by the fact that law enforcement agencies do not reprimand these offending officers and judges ignore the fabrications to allow the proof. In turn, they continue to stay involved in illegal activities. Disadvantages of the Exclusionary Rule Once upon a time law enforcement agents detected and investigated crimes, gathered evidence to convict criminals, and ensured that the guilty were sent to prison. Unfortunately, during that same time, those very same officers invaded people’s privacy and unreasonable searches and seizures were the norm. It did not matter whether a person was innocent or guilty of a crime. Officers of the law could conduct warrantless searches, search anywhere they wanted, and seize any evidence they felt proved a person’s guilt. Nowadays, with the Fourth Amendment secure in the Constitution and the Exclusionary Rule in place you would assume that officers would abide by the law and not violate our rights....

Words: 1777 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Police Functions

...twenty thousand police agency’s locally and state wide here in the United States. As for other nations such as Canada they have 461, India has 22, Australia has 8, and England 43. However, in the United States these agencies are have overlapping jurisdictions, are loosely connected and have different levels of government. This consist of small towns, large cities, county, state township’s, and the federal departments as well. Mostly the major part of these departments handle routine duty’s such as patrolling, investigations of crime and murder, and responding to citizens’ complaints. Small departments employ fewer than 25 full time officers which equates to 81 percent or 11,015, then you have departments that employ approximately 5 full time officers which is 7.5 percent or roughly 1, 022, and the remaining rely heavily on part time or reserve officer’s. Then you have specialty departments that consist of airports, parks, agencies that enforce firearms, alcohol, and game or wildlife. Furthermore, you do have certain departments don’t fit into some of these categories such as county law enforcement (Sheriff). County law enforcement in some states only provide court house security, operate the county jails, serve papers for the courts, and assist other departments when called upon. Due to the different sizes and functions of these departments, it is to establish a standard organizational or management style to any one department. The law enforcement officer plays an extremely...

Words: 1276 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

What Are the Different Models of American Prisons?

...The entire criminal justice system is affected and has adapted to modern technology in how modern technology is being used as a tool to enforce the law. Law enforcement officers and correction officers and the entire criminal justice system rely on technology to do their jobs properly. Computerization of specific records can save the department an immense amount of time and the ability to solve crimes in a much faster and efficient way. It is true that modern technology and computers save time and man hours in police work. Their databases allow officers to retrieve information for an open investigation within a matter of minutes instead of searching through file cabinets of paper files of information needed on crimes and offenders who break the law. The databases of issues that pertain to the law allow the criminal justice system to be more efficient in updating important police reports, criminal records, identity information and outstanding warrants of offenders who are breaking the law. This type of technology is needed it dose save lives and it prevents people from being victimized by crimes that happen within society. No security or police system is perfect but the uses of modern technology dose prevent crimes from happening and enhance the ability of all police officers to able to make the arrest of offenders who are breaking the law. In fact the entire criminal justice system has implemented the use of modern technology in their departments in how they are keeping records...

Words: 898 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Critical Issues

...Mary E Rios CJS210 July 1, 2012 Amanda Dean Critical issues Criminals today are using technology to their advantage when committing crimes; therefore law enforcement must also use technology when taking down the criminal. Technology can be used to prevent crimes as well as to solve crimes after they have happened. Law enforcement today is focusing more on the less then lethal weapons whenever possible. Police officers are faced with many dangers in their daily jobs. Police officers are constantly faced with the unknown and the unpredictable. A routine call could turn out to be deadly or contamination of infectious disease. The Internet has changed how police officers can complete their daily jobs; the Internet has opened doors to so many technological advancements and if all departments are updating their processes and up with technology their jobs could be much more adequate and less room for error or delays. Major technological advancements include database technology, computer aid dispatch, record keeping, and mobile computing. What was once known as the card file index is now known as databases or COMPSTAT, these databases hold criminal information, management information, reports that can be used for statistics or analytical information, trends in crimes, and also can be used for staffing based on geographic crime history. All of this information is at the fingertips of an officers or management personnel to quickly make a decision when necessary. Computer...

Words: 3141 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Law Enforcer

...The Job of Police Officers A police officer’s duty is to maintain public order, preventing, and detecting crime. The concept of police officers, also known as cops, and law enforcement has been around ever since the since ancient time had a theory that an organization of “peacekeepers” would reduce the crime and violence being committed. This theory stuck with society and is still around today. People of law enforcement have a mission when they step into their police car, that mission is to enforce the rules of conduct or law. Of course, accomplishing this mission can be dangerous. Often when a cop leaves his or her house to go to work worries start to set it, such as “will I be coming back home when my day is over” or “will a simple traffic stop go sour and someone ends up dead?” These thoughts are a part of the stress that comes with the job and most people are trained to deal with this stress. Speaking of training, there are classes that a high school student can take to prepare for a career in law enforcement. Psychology, sociology, foreign languages, and computer courses are recommended for those students who plan to take criminal justice as their higher education major. Participating in sports can improve your chances on becoming an officer of law because it improves strength and endurance. Other student activities can be helpful in this career because they help to improve leadership skills and other publications. Every law enforcement agency has different requirements...

Words: 1045 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police Departments Roles and Functions

...Police Department Roles and Functions Justin Lewis CJA/214 April 23, 2014 Mr. Wheelen Police Department Roles and Functions Police departments are one of the most important parts of the criminal justice system. Our police departments are the frontline of defense for society. If society does not feel protected by the police then they are less likely to trust them. Along that same line, some of the citizens will become vigilantes in their own minds trying to “stop criminals”, making the officer’s jobs more difficult than it already is. In the United States, the duty of the law enforcement is to uphold public safety, first and foremost, by reducing the amount of crime in the environment. To achieve this responsibility worldwide, police officers have to partake in many roles. Several of those roles are conflicting roles, depending on the method of the organization, some accentuated over others. All police departments, no matter the location or size, have goals set up. These goals set forth a sense of purpose and direction. The primary goals of policing are the prevention of crime and protection of life, to uphold and enforce the law, to combat public fear of crime, to promote community safety, to control traffic, to encourage respect for the law, to protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals. These goals are important because they help to mode organization in a police department. The five responsibilities of police officers are to enforce the law as instructed...

Words: 1141 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police Corruption

...Case Study: Police Corruption and Its Prevention Management Human Resources (CRJ535) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Introduction and Background to the Problem 4 Definition 4-5 Prevention Begins With Leadership 5-7 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Psychology and Social Perspectives 7-9 Theories to Analyze Police Behavior 9-15 CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION Implications of Police Corruption and Conclusion 15-18 REFERENCES 19 Abstract Society has a responsibility to respect the community and of course, the police officers that protect the community. More often than not, society’s respect of police officers is nonexistent due to the constant media reports of police corruption and brutality. Police corruption has been around since its conception, but is now being publicized more heavily. As a result, mistrust of police officers has increased. Solutions to the mistrust must be discovered and implemented. Even more important than solution is prevention of police corruption and practices that will make the police reputation and actions more ethically sound. With appropriate discipline and prevention practices in place, integrity will be established within the organization and public trust will be established within the community. CHAPTER ONE Introduction and Background Police Corruption takes place when a police officer engages in an...

Words: 5109 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Policing

...Ethics in Criminal Justice Administration Analysis Perla M. Flores CJA/484 Criminal Justice Administration Capstone March 10, 2014 Fran Hart Ethics in Criminal Justice Administration Analysis Ethics in criminal justice administration is a very important aspect because professionals within the criminal justice system make important decisions every day that involves critical thinking, and the choices they make will have an impact in society; therefore, it is important that these professionals be unbiased to everyone they come in contact with. This paper will analyze the relationship between ethics and professional behavior in the administration of criminal justice. It will also explain the role of critical as well as a seminar proposal on ethics that will include five areas of ethical conduct. The reader will be informed why these areas were chosen and what the benefits of this training will do for the officers and the community. Ethics and Professional Behavior in the Administration of Criminal Justice “Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy concerned with the study of questions of right and wrong and how we ought to live. Ethics involves making moral judgments about what is right or wrong, good or bad. Right and wrong are qualities or moral judgments we assign to actions and conduct” (Singer, 1995). Furthermore, the criminal justice agencies have code of ethics to follow in every organization...

Words: 1058 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Pros/Cons of Under Cover Police Work

...Police officers can be assigned to numerous lines of work within an police department. A wide range of law enforcement duties generally require the officer to wear a uniform, representing his or her status as enforcer of laws, preventer of crime, and preserver of domestic peace. However, there is one controversial line of law enforcement that restricts the use of police a uniform. Undercover police work entails the practice of remaining in disguise during investigations of criminal activity. A police officer may assume a different identity acting as an undercover agent, as a method for gaining valuable information or evidence. Undercover work is by far the most dangerous and controversial areas of law enforcement. Nonetheless, undercover work is also one of the best investigative techniques implemented by police departments. The first plainclothes police unit was organized in France during the early 1800’s. Eugène François Vidocq has been recognized as the originator of the “Brigade de la Sûreté”, or “security brigade”. In his self-titled memoir, Vidocq explains the goals of his early undercover police network: “to procure information, to undertake searches, and to obtain particulars of every description; to make nightly rounds…to assist the commissaries of police in their searches, or in the execution of search-warrants; to explore the various rendezvous in every part; to go to the theatres, the boulevards, the barriers, and all other public places, the haunts of...

Words: 1683 - Pages: 7