Ethical Dilemma Ethics Officer Response: Ethics Police

Ethical Dilemma

Ethics

Officer response: Ethics

Police officers are given additional powers to enforce the law that ordinary citizens do not possess, such as the right to stop and frisk suspects and if necessary to use proportional force against a suspect. However, with additional powers comes additional responsibility. On a human level, it is easy to understand why it might be tempting to act violently against someone committing child molestation. But an officer cannot appoint him or herself judge and jury, and must ensure that justice is done through the legal system. He or she is a representative of that system, not a lone avenger.

First of all, the violent officer's actions could have severely compromised the prosecution's case. The defendant could have used the evidence of his beating and the fact that the officer was violent against him to support his claim that he was innocent and wrongly accused. Illegally obtained evidence can be thrown out of court, which is why officers must be aware of the constitutional restrictions placed upon their behaviors. Every defendant has a right to a trial and even the most heinous defendant is punished by the courts, not by the arbitrary decisions of police officers.

The officer's actions have made the department vulnerable to a civil lawsuit that is costly and will generate bad publicity for the police. It is important that the public trust the police and not worry that the police will act like rogue agents. If the police department has a reputation for being violent, suspects may be more apt to resist being arrested, causing greater potential for injury for other officers. This is why the officer in question must be reprimanded.

The first mistake was made when the officer was not forced to comply with police protocol. The defendant should have been confined to the back of the vehicle alone. The fact that he was not should have been an immediate red flag. It is also important to note that while the violent officer's actions may seem to be justified in the extreme scenario of child molestation on an emotional level, the officer's instability may not simply manifest itself in such instances. It could arise again in a less justified context. Officers must know how to keep calm and clear-headed, but this officer evidently does not.

Given the above-mentioned details, it is essential that the violent officer's partner is candid about what transpired. He must report honestly on the facts that he saw. He can talk about the extenuating circumstances that may have affected the other officer's judgment, such as the horrific nature of the crime. He can also note if his partner has small children, is under a great deal of stress, and the fact that his partner has an exemplary record other than this incident (if all of these things are true). While this may incur the displeasure of his fellow officers in the department, ultimately the partner's highest obligation is to the law, not to please his fellow officers and he must be objective when reporting violations.