Task 1:
To assist you with this Task, please review Module 5 Community Policing and Police Doing Good Deeds.
You learned in Module 1 that being ethical and moral isn’t just about not doing bad things, but it’s also about doing good things. Police often get a bad rap due to their exposure in the media for things such as police brutality, especially because they are on the “front line.” You will likely be surprised at just how many bad/immoral/unethical things prosecutors (and other CJ professionals) do, but you never hear about them because they aren’t on the front line. Things are heated right now in the media regarding police. Despite this, there are many police officers and detectives who not only do their jobs as defined within the law but do good and go above and beyond in their job as public servants and consistently engage in community policing. What is the importance of community policing? Next, find at least two examples of police doing good deeds in the course of their occupation. Summarize each example and provide the source at the end. Explain what these officers likely value in their everyday lives that is also demonstrated in their occupation.
Task 2:
Discuss the main types of police misconduct as discussed in the video lecture. Research a case of police misconduct in the United States within the last 20 years (while choosing a case on police brutality is fine, I encourage you to branch out into other types such as planting evidence, testilying, sexual abuse of power, psychological abuse, etc.). Give a detailed summation of the case and discuss the outcome. Was anyone held accountable? Why or why not?
Task 3:
Choose only ONE of the following dilemmas and respond:
Dilemma 1: You work as a law enforcement officer for a rather large police agency in a large city. In your time as an officer, you realize that your partner was picking up “pad” money (payments by store owners to ensure that the cops would be there in case of trouble, but also ignore minor violations of store owners and their customers). The “pad” is widespread in the department. You keep quiet and work your way up to detective after 12 years, but discover that corruption (bribes, kickbacks, etc.) is rampant in the division you work in. You decide to go to your supervisors, but to no avail, they do not care, listen, or do anything. What do you do then? Do you keep quiet and just keep doing your job while allowing several (hundred) officers to swindle citizens of the city? OR, do you call the FBI to have them investigate?
What ethical system does your answer fall in line with? Explain.
Dilemma 2: You and your partner have been working together for more than 5 years. He has seen you through the serious illness of your young child, and you have been there for him during his divorce. After the divorce, though, you have become increasingly anxious about him. He is obviously not taking care of his health, he drinks too much, and he has been consistently late to roll call. Now you can smell alcohol on his breath during the day and suspect that the ever-present cup of coffee he carries has more than a little whiskey in it. You’ve tried talking to him several times, but he just gets angry and tells you to mind your own business. Today, when the two of you responded to an accident scene, a witness drew you aside and said, “Aren’t you going to do something about him?” pointing to your partner. Unfortunately, you knew what she meant, for he was literally swaying, trying to keep his balance in the hot sun. To make matters worse, he insists on driving. What would you do? What ethical system does your answer fall in line with? Explain.
Dilemma 3: You are a rookie police officer on patrol. You learn that the local “I don’t care where we eat” restaurant likes to have you, officers, around, so it gives free meals to officers. Do you go eat there for every meal break on every shift? Or do you go every now and again because you genuinely like the food? Even though you know they offer free meals to officers if they don’t give it to you, are you going to ask for it? What is the best course of action based on what you learned in this module? What ethical system does your answer fall in line with? Explain.
Task 4:
Finally, discuss explain how Module 5 expanded your growth as an individual and as a “learning expert” on policing, discretion, dilemmas, and corruption/misconduct. Explain how the evidence-based data helped you to better understand how Stop & Frisks can be abused, as well as how racism is largely systemic in nature (occurs in particular departments, e.g. NYPD, Tulia, TX, etc.) rather than “just a few bad apples.”
