The concepts of ethics and morality seem to be similar in nature. However, careful observation will reveal that despite definitions that seem relevant, they are in fact two distinct concepts. The concept of morals involves more than just determining right from wrong. It involves the personal justification of an individual. The person might assume that it is okay to commit crimes for profit since a part of the proceedings will benefit charity. However, despite the good intentions, if the procurement of the source of the charity contribution is criminal, it is wrong. Morals might not help the situation since they differ depending on an individual’s commitment to right and wrong.
Ethics are a set of instructions implemented by society to ensure its citizens do not commit criminal actions. Ethics form the strength behind societal goals. The personal morals of an individual will not allow any changes in the code of ethics. For example, bribery is a violation of ethical behavior in society. Hence, irrespective of a person’s belief, the act of accepting bribes interprets as corruption. In the case of morals, the individual has the opportunity to change the interpretation of the action based on how the person utilizes the bribe (Dempsey and Forst, 2014).
Ethics are susceptible to replacement if members of the society change their belief as a whole. The legalization of marijuana in Colorado is a replacement of ethics. Morals and ethics want the same outcome. They can both establish a society of law-abiding citizens. However, while ethics will remain as a benchmark for all, morals are only relevant for the individual. Finally, while ethics echo the correct actions and behavior set by the law, morals are only an extension of a person’s belief and customs.
The case chosen for this paper is Joseph Miedzianowski. He is the most corrupt police officer from the Chicago Police Department. The issues that this case will deal with are the interpretation of ethics and morals in the life of Officer Joseph Miedzianowski. In addition, the study will analyze the actions by different players in this case and their choice of morals and ethics. Corruption in the police force is a rampant issue. The study below unravels the connection between actions and intentions while relating them to morals or ethics.
Joseph Miedzianowski served in the Chicago Police Department for several years as a highly decorated police officer. His specialty was in drug enforcement. Miedzianowski skilled as an excellent communicator and strategist was able to create informants in almost every street corner. He earned several accolades for preventing drug gangs from warring with each other. Despite his crude approach towards suspects, he was making strides in the department as a valuable asset. His relative success in combatting drug gangs earned him a place in the Chicago Gangs Unit where he stayed for almost two decades. This part of his life depends on the ethical code of the Chicago Police Department.
Unfortunately, the Chicago Police Department was also one of the most corrupt police forces in the nation. Ethics require enforcement to succeed. They cannot prevail like morals that provide principles for living the right way. During his stay in the Chicago Gangs Unit, Joseph Miedzianowski created the largest drug running operations between Miami and Chicago. Miedzianowski’s society was the Chicago Police Department. When he noted fellow police officers accepting bribes and reselling seized drugs, he replaced the ethics of the law to the accepted ethics of the Chicago Police Department. Joseph Miedzianowski provided information on undercover operations, ammunition, drugs, and infrastructure for his drug gang while keeping the other gangs in check. His position as a member of the Chicago Gangs Unit was pivotal to the operations.
The morals of several members of the Chicago Gangs Unit were similar to that of Joseph Miedzianowski; generating dirty money for profit by abusing power. They reasoned that it was impossible to cure Chicago of the drug problem. However, it might be possible to reduce the violence involved. Eventually with a reduction in violence on the street, citizens benefit. Hence, they decided that the money that they generate through this drug operation is a small fee for their services. The incorrect morals corrupted the behavior of Joseph Miedzianowski and his infamous colleagues.
Joseph Miedzianowski violated the ethics of a police officer. There were consequences for these actions. A public trial that humiliated his family with reporters stalking them at every corner for a story. In addition, his so-called gang members turned against him as prosecutorial witnesses. The trial lasted for three weeks. Joseph Miedzianowski plead that he was innocent of the charges. Perhaps his morals guided him incorrectly into thinking that he could get away with his crimes. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) remained with the ethics. This enabled them to keep their morals in place. The resulting verdict was a life imprisonment without parole in a Federal Prison for Joseph Miedzianowski. His associate received a thirty-year prison term (Jurkanin and Hillard, 2006). The sentencing Judge stated that Miedzianowski’s betrayal of the society was unacceptable. This implicates the connection between society and ethics.
Analyzing Miedzianowski’s morals, he probably wanted to keep the streets safe and profit from the experience. Police salaries cannot always provide for a family of four with regular comforts like any other blue-collar job. In addition, a police officer’s job always carries a mortal risk. It is impossible to suggest how or when a police officer in Chicago will face death. Even a traffic stop over speeding can get police officers killed in the line of duty. The families do not always receive job options or regular income beyond a government approved pension. It is possible that Joseph Miedzianowski decided that his family will not suffer such consequences. The intention is admirable and yet, it is the fruit of a poison tree.
If Miedzianowski had declined to adhere to his morals and decided to stick to the societal ethics, he might have changed his morals over time. He might not have provided his family with several luxuries however; his family might be near him physically for his fiftieth birthday. Instead, he had to pass time in a small cell at a Federal prison. Joseph Miedzianowski’s case provides the definition of how morals and ethics operate in society as well as law enforcement. Moreover, his infamous exploits explain how easy it is to violate ethics when a person believes in the wrong morals.
References
Dempsey, J., and Forst, L. S. (2014). An Introduction to Policing. Thousand Oaks: CA. Sage Publishing. Pp. 248 - 283.
Jurkanin, T. J., and Hillard, T. G. (2006). Chicago Police: An Inside View--the Story of Superintendent Terry G. Hillard. Springfield: IL. Charles C Thomas Publisher. Pp. 135 – 138.
