Ethics and Professional Code of Conduct
Law enforcement officers are the models of society. Everyone looks up to them for guidance on how to maintain the law. The officers are in a unique position in society; whether on or off duty. The actions of the officers should be above reproach from society. A police chief is the official representative of the government to society. To uphold peace in society, he requires a strong code of ethics and integrity (Ponton & Duba, 2011). This will display fairness in the implementation of law in the society.
The officers are not to discredit their departments in any way whatsoever. Their seniors and the society at large expect exemplary conduct of the officers. To maintain such high standards, ethics and integrity are required. The agencies are tasked with defending the Constitution. Their agents, law enforcement officers, vow to be honest and law abiding citizens. Ethics and integrity form the core of law enforcement Oath to Office (Ponton & Duba, 2011).
Law and order promote equality in society. Law enforcement officers are tasked with promoting equality. Any dent in their conduct threatens the equality they vow to promote (Iykovic & Shelley, 2008). Corruption, misconduct and unnecessary violence are some of the actions that discredit their agencies.
The results achieved by these three principles are similar. Enacting the three principles in the law enforcement sector leads to the firm and decent enforcement of laws. However, these three principles are different in the form of delivery and implementation. Ethics refers to the process of philosophically reflecting of one’s moral beliefs and practices. All law enforcement officers have their own version of right and wrong despite the law’s interpretation. In the field, the officers are faced with situations that need delicate handling (Mohr, 2010). They are mandated to maintain society at a balance and their
References: Ivković, S.K., & Shelley, T.O. (2008). Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, Vol 18(4) n.p. Mohr, W.K. (2010). Restraints and the code of ethics: An uneasy fit. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Vol 24(1): 3-14. Ponton, R.F., & Duba, J.D. (2011) .The ACA Code of Ethics: Articulating Counseling 's Professional Covenant. Journal of Counseling and Development, Vol 87 (1): 117-121.