Why Does Pollack's Paradigm For Ethical Decision-Making In Policing Fail?
1.What is a moral dilemma?
A moral dilemma exists when the agent must decide to act in a morally repugnant way, to achieve a morally exemplary end. It is a situation, in which it is difficult to decide, either because the action is not clear, or the right course of action carries some negative consequences. In moral dilemma situation, obligations and responsibilities are in conflict. The expression “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” vividly captures the definition. That is, in a dilemma, there appears to be no right answer or solution.
2. How does Pollack’s paradigm for ethical decision-making in policing fail?
Sometimes, the same conclusion to an ethical dilemma can be reached using several different ethical systems, but sometimes using different ethical …show more content…
systems can result in contradictory answers to the determination of goodness. Pollock’s paradigm would not be successful in policing because police officers are daily faced with different, sometimes, never-seen-before situations warranting a separate set of response that will not fit into any paradigm.
3.Give an example of a moral issue or question policing that is NOT a moral dilemma.
The following four kinds of moral decisions do not constitute a moral dilemma:
- a choice between two morally exemplary ends
- a choice between two morally exemplary ends
- a choice between a moral and immoral end
- a choice between a moral and immoral act
A good example is the police code of silence, the practice of officers to not come forward, when they are aware of the ethical transgressions of other officers.
4.What four questions must be answered before it can be determined if a “dirty hands”or “Dirty Harry” problem exists.
The four questions are;
- Does the suspect have the information the police officer seeks?
- Are dirty means, and only dirty means, the only way to achieve a morally good end?
- In the end, will the dirty means be in vain?
- Is the morally good end, unquestionably good and so passionately felt, that even a small probability of its achievement demands that the dirty means be tried?
5.Identify and explain Klockars’s four assumptions about guilt? (40 points)
Just like other profession like medicine where all body fluids (blood, saliva, vomitus, joint fluids etc), are treated as potentially infectious, police officer works, under some assumptions about guilt because of the inherent dangers associated with their work.
Those assumptions include:
- The “operative assumption of guilt” Police must assume that the person they are working with is guilty in order for him to do the job efficiently. This guilt the police hold on to, does not disappear until he’s taken the appropriate actions to prove or disprove it; sometimes those actions include “dirty” ones. Even though, all accused are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
- The “worst of all possible guilt” Police believe the suspect is very dangerous. Routine stops that have escalated to more serious and sometimes fatal encounter have been documented, so if it happened once, it could happen again. The officer must have this assumption as thinking otherwise could get the officer killed.
- The “great guilty place assumption” is based on the concept of suspicion. Suspicion of others is a regular constant feature of their work, due to the work environment, whereby they confront bad actors on regular
basis.
- The “not guilty (this time) assumption” is still centered on the idea that a suspect is guilty; however, they may just be innocent that one time. The officer does not feel bad for violating the suspects right. Only that the suspect is innocent only at this time.
6. What is the specific moral dilemma it poses for police officers? State in a sentence or two
The specific moral dilemma it poses for police officers is, trying to decide when the dirty means, justifies achieving a morally good end; whether means, that are illegal and morally questionable, may be used to achieve ends which may themselves be considered moral. Providing answers to this is the real dilemma, it’s never a clear and straightforward answer.
A moral dilemma exists when the agent must decide to act in a morally repugnant way, to achieve a morally exemplary end. It is a situation, in which it is difficult to decide, either because the action is not clear, or the right course of action carries some negative consequences. In moral dilemma situation, obligations and responsibilities are in conflict. The expression “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” vividly captures the definition. That is, in a dilemma, there appears to be no right answer or solution.
2. How does Pollack’s paradigm for ethical decision-making in policing fail?
Sometimes, the same conclusion to an ethical dilemma can be reached using several different ethical systems, but sometimes using different ethical …show more content…
systems can result in contradictory answers to the determination of goodness. Pollock’s paradigm would not be successful in policing because police officers are daily faced with different, sometimes, never-seen-before situations warranting a separate set of response that will not fit into any paradigm.
3.Give an example of a moral issue or question policing that is NOT a moral dilemma.
The following four kinds of moral decisions do not constitute a moral dilemma:
- a choice between two morally exemplary ends
- a choice between two morally exemplary ends
- a choice between a moral and immoral end
- a choice between a moral and immoral act
A good example is the police code of silence, the practice of officers to not come forward, when they are aware of the ethical transgressions of other officers.
4.What four questions must be answered before it can be determined if a “dirty hands”or “Dirty Harry” problem exists.
The four questions are;
- Does the suspect have the information the police officer seeks?
- Are dirty means, and only dirty means, the only way to achieve a morally good end?
- In the end, will the dirty means be in vain?
- Is the morally good end, unquestionably good and so passionately felt, that even a small probability of its achievement demands that the dirty means be tried?
5.Identify and explain Klockars’s four assumptions about guilt? (40 points)
Just like other profession like medicine where all body fluids (blood, saliva, vomitus, joint fluids etc), are treated as potentially infectious, police officer works, under some assumptions about guilt because of the inherent dangers associated with their work.
Those assumptions include:
- The “operative assumption of guilt” Police must assume that the person they are working with is guilty in order for him to do the job efficiently. This guilt the police hold on to, does not disappear until he’s taken the appropriate actions to prove or disprove it; sometimes those actions include “dirty” ones. Even though, all accused are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
- The “worst of all possible guilt” Police believe the suspect is very dangerous. Routine stops that have escalated to more serious and sometimes fatal encounter have been documented, so if it happened once, it could happen again. The officer must have this assumption as thinking otherwise could get the officer killed.
- The “great guilty place assumption” is based on the concept of suspicion. Suspicion of others is a regular constant feature of their work, due to the work environment, whereby they confront bad actors on regular
basis.
- The “not guilty (this time) assumption” is still centered on the idea that a suspect is guilty; however, they may just be innocent that one time. The officer does not feel bad for violating the suspects right. Only that the suspect is innocent only at this time.
6. What is the specific moral dilemma it poses for police officers? State in a sentence or two
The specific moral dilemma it poses for police officers is, trying to decide when the dirty means, justifies achieving a morally good end; whether means, that are illegal and morally questionable, may be used to achieve ends which may themselves be considered moral. Providing answers to this is the real dilemma, it’s never a clear and straightforward answer.