Abstract
The United States’ criminal justice system is all about truth. Therefore, law enforcement professionals are expected to act and behave in such a way that mirrors this public commitment. While it is human nature to lie, the kind of job police officers have requires truth and reliability at all times from the law enforcer. People place high level of trust on them, thus, it is only right that police officers remain truthful at all times. Otherwise, it weakens the criminal justice system and only breeds distrust. The justice system is based on truth and police officers, including those who hold public office, are expected to uphold that commitment. If law enforcers are proven to have lied or skewed facts and reports in order to manipulate criminal records, among others, then they must be punished by the law and terminated from office.
People falsely claim to have college degrees. There are those who declare to have worked in prestigious organizations or have held high-paying, leadership positions. Those who have once had a brush with the law conceal their past. Still, there are people who falsify their employment applications. Sometimes, people who make false claims about their credentials get away with their lies. But what if the person involved is an individual who holds public office, such as a police officer? Can this person’s lies be considered as trivial just like an ordinary individual’s statements? Police officers lie just like any other ordinary citizens do. However, being representatives of the law, police officers should always be truthful at all times.
The Massachusetts Chief of Police Association, Inc. (MCPAI) (2016) asserted that “law enforcement professionals are held to a higher standard than the citizens they have sworn to protect and serve” (p. 1). During times when the credibility of the law enforcement is compromised, they always find themselves being vilified or ridiculed, which makes it even more important that police officers’ conduct and comportment are always in check. They have to ensure that they follow “a strict code of truthfulness” (p. 1) to warrant the trust of the citizens. Thus, adhering to “public policy, ethics and notions of morality” (p. 1) is vital. When police officers lie, they put their credibility at stake considering that they are supposed to be pillars of truth that the citizenry can trust. Over the years, law enforcement leaders have been subject to questions pertaining police officers who have been untruthful in the line of duty or during the execution of their work. Thus, questions on what to do with law enforcement employees proven to have been deceitful in the workplace abound.
Any forms of lying or deceit fall under ethical considerations in police character books. This means, being a law enforcement employee, “truth-telling, duty-bound honor, and justice” (Martinelli, 2014) are expected of the individual. This is all about guaranteeing and instilling pride and honor in the work of a law enforcement official, which is the basis of policing. As such, the police force is expected to protect the image and integrity of their profession at all times and in all levels. If it means having to re-educate officers about the importance of truth-telling, then it should be done. Law enforcers should always be reminded that untruthful words and conduct do not only damage their credibility but also their organization’s integrity and authority, too. Such situations open avenues for the dismissal of the police officer from service. In some cases, the termination of the police officer is deemed unfair or unjust in light of the gravity of the lie and how much it has affected the organization as a whole (Kamp & Nalder, 2008).
Not all lies breach public trust and departmental policies. Thus, understanding the context and category of the lie is important. For instance, white lies may be “social lies” that are commonly said to make the other person more comfortable or “altruistic lies”, also referred to as public-spirited lies, that are said to make another person feel good about himself (MCPAI, 2016, p. 2). Humorous lies are said to make jokes more interesting (MCPAI, 2016, p. 2), while “lies justified by investigative necessity” (MCPAI, 2016, p. 3) are told as a strategy to induce criminal suspects into talking more or providing more information. On the other hand, there are lies that result to termination or reprimand. These are “defensive lies” that are told in order to protect the speaker (MCPAI, 2016, p. 2), “aggressive lies”, which are said not only for the protection of the speaker but are said in order to implicate another person (MCPAI, 2016, p. 2), and “omissions”, which are lies that occurs when the individual purposefully hides the truth or does not make any attempts to correct an untruth (MCPAI, 2016, p. 2). Therefore, when it comes to identifying what lies deserve to be punished, knowing the context and category of the lie helps. In some cases, an individual is found guilty of lying despite it being his first time to lie on the job. Whether it was a simple lie or not, the important thing is that determining the gravity of the lie, its effects on the individual’s credibility, and the organization’s integrity and reliability are protected. This is just being fair about the situation. Otherwise, ignoring the actuations of a lying police officer and allowing him to perform his duties hurts the reputation of the organization he represents. It will only make people think that the police organization condones with the erring police officer’s bad behavior, thus, it would only result to public distrust on the whole organization itself.
In the event that a police officer is found guilty of lying and was dismissed from service, the family of the police officer also suffers. Emotionally, it will be difficult for the family to accept that the member of their family who supposedly holds a highly respected and trusted position in public office was found guilty of lying because of their high regard on the person and the position he holds. Psychologically, it will also be painful on the ego of the family because the position brings honor not only to the individual, but to the whole clan as well. If word gets out about what happened, the family will also be subject to ridicule. Financially, it could result to monetary woes for the family if the police officer loses his job.
Ensuring that these people are telling the truth or not affects the dynamics within the group, including how decisions are made. Most importantly, the group is risking the possibility of endangering the group’s reputation and credibility. Ethical dilemmas have become a bane for many professions, including police enforcement, where employees are often placed in a position that requires them to testify. In law enforcement, police officers complete their reports that others in law enforcement use as basis for other reports or used as critical evidence in courts of law” (Serpas, 2010). “These officers take enforcement action; secure evidence; maintain confidential information; have access to privileged information; handle drugs, money, and guns; process crime scenes; maintain reports of crimes and accidents; and, importantly, they are authorized by law to dispossess others of their constitutional rights and use deadly force when appropriate” (Serpas, 2010). Thus, what a police officer says is deemed important and is the basis of what is called law enforcement service. This is how police officers establish their credibility – by enforcing the law, embodying the rules and laws as defined by the courts, and observing truthfulness at all times. The trust they gain and earn from people they serve helps the department operate efficiently, thus, when police officers perform their jobs in an approach with absolute reliability, integrity, and honesty consistent with what is expected of them, then the public’s respect and trust level on them increases (Wilkinson, 2012, p. 3).
In my opinion, a police officer’s credibility is very important. Therefore, a lying police officer whose lies breach public trust and departmental policies must be held liable of his actions, regardless if it will result to job termination. As a representative of the criminal justice system, I believe and assume that he will always be truthful and honest in all that he does. The public also places a huge trust in him considering that he can deprive individuals of their freedom. His words also has the capacity to influence decisions that others in law enforcement makes, including prosecutors, fellow police officers, and the community, among others. His words can be used as basis when coming up with verdicts in court, thus, he should be careful with his words and ensure truthfulness and reliability at all times.
I would recommend that all those who hold public office and provide services to the public should, under oath, promise to uphold the Constitution and to always be truthful in their actions and at work. Those who will be found to have been intentionally deceptive will then have to face the consequences of their actions, that is, termination from their position. Thus, in order to avoid such situations, the organization must push for a yearly ethics and ethical decision-making training that will emphasize the importance of truth telling. They should always be reminded that police officers have a moral and legal obligation to the public, thus, they are expected to always act responsibly, ethically, and legally.
References
Kamb, L., & Nalder, E. (2008). Cops who lie don’t always lose jobs. Retrieved 2 May 2016 from http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Cops-who-lie-don-t-always-lose-jobs-1262936.php
Martinelli, T. (2014). Should an officer’s “Willingness to Deceive” result in automatic certification revocation.” Retrieved 3 May 2016 from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=print_display&article_id=3265&issue_id=22014
Massachusetts Chief of Police Association, Inc. [MCPAI]. (2016). Truthfulness in law enforcement. Retrieved 3 May 2016 from https://www.assumption.edu/sites/default/files/public_safety/MCOP%20TRUTHFULNESS%20IN%20POLICING.pdf
Serpas, R. (2010). The untruthful employee: Is termination the only response. Retrieved 4 May 2016 from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=2163&issue_id=82010
Wilkinson, A.B. (2012). Truth or consequences: Choose the road that avoids career disaster. Retrieved 4 May 2016 from https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Honesty_is_the_Best_Policy.pdf
