Character and Cops Ethics in Policing
Final Essays
Four Final Essay Questions
Zachary Karenchak
Character and Cops Ethics in Policing
Noble Cause Corruption Are police ever justified in committing illegal acts that violate others rights are they ever justified especially when there is no personal gain but for reasons that may seem to be about a higher purpose. This is the argument for noble cause corruption. This idea brings it to the end justifies the means thinking. If we start down this line where can it lead us? The idea that we can justify any action that would violate civil rights and other laws because we feel that our cause is noble and it is not being done for personal gain but the good of others can lead us into some dark places. The noble cause thinking is able to lead us to think any action or violation is fine because the end product will be worth it. I have to admit this thinking worries me greatly not just on a national level where I think we see quite a bit of this but may not always recognize it as such, but personally I have had this happen in my job. I was called out to meet with a young girl I believe she was 11 at the time and had reported her brother- in law for sexual abuse it had been going on for several years. The officer in charge could not get her to give him a statement beyond he did this and it was a lot of times and then she shut down on him. I explained that her sister kicked him out he left the area and he was gone from her life, she accomplished what she wanted to have happen the offender disappear. The officer asked me to secretly record her and turn the tape over to him and if I would not do it he would have someone else speak to her and the person he was asking was the mother of another one of his victims. I thought this was a good example of noble cause. I of course had to speak to his chief and let the parent of the girl know that someone else was going to talk to her and that is when I learned it was the mother of the other victim. The argument that
Four Final Essay Questions
Zachary Karenchak
Character and Cops Ethics in Policing
Noble Cause Corruption Are police ever justified in committing illegal acts that violate others rights are they ever justified especially when there is no personal gain but for reasons that may seem to be about a higher purpose. This is the argument for noble cause corruption. This idea brings it to the end justifies the means thinking. If we start down this line where can it lead us? The idea that we can justify any action that would violate civil rights and other laws because we feel that our cause is noble and it is not being done for personal gain but the good of others can lead us into some dark places. The noble cause thinking is able to lead us to think any action or violation is fine because the end product will be worth it. I have to admit this thinking worries me greatly not just on a national level where I think we see quite a bit of this but may not always recognize it as such, but personally I have had this happen in my job. I was called out to meet with a young girl I believe she was 11 at the time and had reported her brother- in law for sexual abuse it had been going on for several years. The officer in charge could not get her to give him a statement beyond he did this and it was a lot of times and then she shut down on him. I explained that her sister kicked him out he left the area and he was gone from her life, she accomplished what she wanted to have happen the offender disappear. The officer asked me to secretly record her and turn the tape over to him and if I would not do it he would have someone else speak to her and the person he was asking was the mother of another one of his victims. I thought this was a good example of noble cause. I of course had to speak to his chief and let the parent of the girl know that someone else was going to talk to her and that is when I learned it was the mother of the other victim. The argument that
References: Delattre, Edwin J. Character and Cops Ethics in Policing Fourth Edition 2002 Pgs. 279 – 83 AEI Press