There has been lots of dissatisfaction by members of the public in the recent past with regard to police work and their role in law enforcement. This is because of increased corruption in the force, the officers’ application of excessive force among other misconducts. These have led to the erosion of public trust in the institution. A focus on the conduct, standards and decisions of the police force has thus come under sharp scrutiny from various quarters. A number of officers are committed to their work to serve the public with diligence and integrity, whereas there are those who abuse the trust held by the public. These are those who engage in conducts that are inconsistent with societal ethics, values and norms.
There are codes of ethics for various professions that govern the way professionals carry out their roles; they should be in line with the set standards to protect clients and also ensure that professionalism is fostered. The police force also has its own ethical canons for the protection of the public and to ensure efficient service delivery. All officers are required to know their ethical responsibilities and endeavor to deliver the highest standards in their duties of policing. Ethics is important in policing as it serves to remind one of what is expected of him, offers a common starting point for dealing with certain tough cases and can also offer inspiration to an officer to perform more than he or she would have otherwise performed.
However, there are quite a number of challenges associated with having ethical standards in the police work. No society has a common moral consensus for example. It thus becomes difficult for police officers to abide by ethical standards and yet all people around them, including those who should act as examples to other people do not adhere to these canons of conduct. In addition, changes in societal moral environment have made individuals fail to admit responsibility for certain vices. These make it inappropriate for the police to stick to historical codes of ethics in their work.
Despite the above misgivings, it is essential that the organization of the police work should be such that an environment that relies on a mutually agreed value system which is well defined is created so that all officers direct their work efforts basing on it.
Work Cited
Sullivan, M. (2003, April 15). Police Leadership - Ethics: How Essential Is It? Retrieved April 28, 2012, from www.hitechcj.com: http://www.hitechcj.com/chiefslist/id13.html
