Ethical Dilemmas in the New York Police Department Assignment

Ethical Dilemmas in the New York Police Department - Assignment Example The judgments made by an officer are supposed to be consistent with the police code of ethics and deviation from this makes their act unethical. However, dilemmas arise due to the environment; and the ethics are not as black and white as before. This paper takes an in depth analysis into these dilemmas and focuses on the NYPD, and how they have and should handle such deviations. Introduction The police are the most noticeable section of law enforcement and are tasked with the responsibility of regulating harmful actions by the public and protecting civil rights. The expectation set for the police is high; they are not only expected to enforce the law but to be exemplary in moral conduct, as they are model for the citizens to emulate. When the police deviate from this expectation, the public lose confidence in the system and what the law can accomplish as they who are regarded as the epitome of the law cannot abide by it. This makes police ethics and action dire, both to the public an d other law enforcement agencies (Pollock, 2012). 1. Ethical dilemma Before one becomes an agent of the law, he/she is required to make an oath to abide by the Law enforcement code of ethics. The code states: As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. †¦.. I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decision. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courageously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice, or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence, and never accepting gratuities (DPS, 2009). Police officers are expected to adhere by the code and this is enforced in training where the recruits are taught police culture. The NYPD boasts of having an academy that offers training to recruits and integrates character traits and virtues that embody the police force. These include courage, honesty, integrity and loyalty. These traits and virtues are put into question when the officer gets to the field and encounters real life situations, just like the rest of us. The common ethical dilemmas that face the police are on particular crimes and they include the following: Torture/ police brutality: also known as dirty haring, where a police officer tortures a suspect for information, especially when it is organized crime. The information held by the suspect is crucial in bringing down a mob or even syndicate. The officer feels he has the duty to protect the citizen and goes to distant measures to acquire the information, even if it means the use of force (McCarthy R. & McCarthy J, 2011). Illegal search: the law requires that an officer to have a search warrant in order to enter into a private property and make a legal search. However, an officer on the field may find that hard to do as timing is of essence in crime fighting as crime happens in real time. This means if the officer is to keep the law, he will have to go in pursuit of a warrant thereby letting the illegal transaction go through. The police officer is torn in between preserving the law and enforcing the law, antagonistic virtues promoted by the police culture at such moments (Barker, 2011).