Ch.1 Professionalism & Ethics

Question 1

What is the earliest meaning of professionalism?

Answer 1

Professing the vows of a religious order. It meant the act of professing, a spiritual commitment, a range of academic expertise or both.

Question 2

When was the term professionalism secularized?

Answer 2

1675

Question 3

From the Oxford dictionary, the definition of profession means what?

Answer 3

The occupation which one professes to be skilled in and to follow. Applied specifically to the three learned professions of divinity, law, and medicine; also the military profession.

Question 4

From the Oxford dictionary, the definition of professional means what?

Answer 4

Someone who is engaged in one of the learned or skilled professions, or in a calling considered socially superior to a trade or handicraft.

Question 5

According to the Websters dictionary, profession means?

Answer 5

A vocation or occupation requiring advanced training in some liberal art or science, usually involving mental rather than manual work.

Question 6

Professionals know better than others the nature of their specialty and know what is best for _____________________.

Answer 6

The people they serve

Question 7

A profession is a vocation that meets the following requirements?

Answer 7

1. The members possess a specialized body of knowledge, not easily acquired, accomplished through advanced education or training.
2. The members share a commitment to serving the public or community they serve.
3. The members share a commitment to promoting the common good.
4. The members share a professional creed or code of ethics that’s holds themselves to a higher standard.

Question 8

What are some characteristics that make a law enforcement officer a professional?

Answer 8

-Respect
-image
-integrity
-transparency
-holding a higher standard
-doing the job confidently and well -keeping cool when aggravated -continuing education with Law enforcement TCOLE.

Question 9

What are some advantages of professionalism?

Answer 9

• Being that beacon of hope for the community.
• often you will be rewarded with higher pay (i.e. promotion).
• people will trust you with decisions.
• we will gain police legitimacy.

Question 10

What are some disadvantages of professionalism?

Answer 10

• you are in the limelight with eyes on every corner waiting for you to make a mistake.
• having friends outside of law enforcement may become difficult. Especially for those friends who don’t abide by the law.

Question 11

What are some characteristics of professionalism?

Answer 11

• Service to others
• assessment of needs to others
• theoretical body of knowledge obtained through extended pre-service education.
• professional association to maintain standards.
• continuing education and life long learning. (i.e. TCOLE, 40 hrs of training every two years, legislative update every two years)

Question 12

What are some characteristics of Police legitimacy and procedural Justice?

Answer 12

• Treating people with dignity and respect
• Making decisions fairly, based on facts, not illegitimate factors such as race.
• giving people voice, a chance to tell their side of the story.
• acting in a way that encourages the community members to believe that they will be treated with goodwill in the future.

Question 13

What does police legitimacy mean?

Answer 13

People have trust and confidence in the police, accept police authority, and believe officers are fair.

Question 14

What are the four pillars of procedural Justice and police legitimacy?

Answer 14

Pillar 1) Fairness and consistency.

Pillar 2) giving voice to all parties.

Pillar 3) Transparency

Pillar 4) Impartiality

Question 15

What can be a misuse of the term professionalism in law enforcement?

Answer 15

The cool and aloof cop, showing no feeling for his community. Equivalent to a sports star.

Question 16

How does professionalism, legitimacy, and procedural Justice relate?

Answer 16

You have to balance legitimacy and procedural Justice in a way to remain professional. It is possible to be too over the top procedural, while forgetting to build relations with the community.

Question 17

What are the advantages with the value of the professional model for law enforcement?

Answer 17

• Public better served
• Quality of peace officers is removed
• Ethical conduct
• more effective problem solving
• stronger community support and respect.
• stronger role in the criminal Justice system
• More effective innovations
  Financial rewards
  -

Question 18

What are the disadvantages with the value of the professional model for law enforcement?

Answer 18

• Cost of training and development
• Higher Salaries or remuneration for job occupant.
• Limited entry into the work force from poor because of limited opportunity for educational attainment.

Question 19

What are partnerships with in law enforcement?

Answer 19

Collaborative partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the individuals and the organizations they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust. (I.e. partners may be SART, local government, private business’s, and social service providers)

Question 20

What does problem solving mean with in law enforcement?

Answer 20

The process of engaging in the proactive and systematic examination of identified problems to develop and rigorously evaluate effective responses.

S.A.R.A: Scanning. Analysis. Response. Assessment.

Question 21

What does the the crime triangle consist of?

Answer 21

Victim, location, and offender.

Question 22

What is organizational transformation?

Answer 22

Refers to the alignment of organizational management, Structure, personnel, and information systems to support community partnerships and proactive problem solving.

Question 23

Human values change from culture to culture or location to location, but what value has remained intact for centuries?

Answer 23

Courage

Question 24

What is the ethical role?

Answer 24

It is performed by being objective, impartial, neutral, and ethical in personal behavior and in functioning as a representative of the criminal Justice system. The ethical role is also that of a professional.

Question 25

What are the six pillars of character?

Answer 25

Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

Question 26

What can cause degradation of legitimacy?

Answer 26

Behavior that ignores the basic goals of the criminal Justice system and which only serves individual or agency motives. This tends to confuse people of the community and eventually lose confidence in the system.

Question 27

Who is the prime beneficiary of the criminal Justice system?

Answer 27

The public served

Question 28

What are some motivations for ethical behavior?

Answer 28

• Inner benefit: virtue is its own reward
• personal advantage: it is prudent to be ethical. It is good business
• Approval: being ethical leads to self-esteem, the admiration of loved ones and respect of peers.
• Religion: Good behavior can please or help a deity.
• Habit: ethical decisions can fit in with upbringing or training.

Question 29

What are some obstacles to ethical behavior?

Answer 29

• self interest
• pursuit of happiness

Question 30

What is ethics?

Answer 30

It involves the achievement of what is good or bad, right, or wrong, in relation to moral duty and obligation.

Question 31

What are the four components of consistent ethical behavior?

Answer 31

• Moral sensitivity
• Moral Judgement
• Moral Motivation
• Moral Character

Question 32

What is Moral sensitivity?

Answer 32

The ability to recognize the presence and nature of ethical issues. The awareness that a situation represents an ethical problem that requires an ethical decision.

Question 33

What is Moral judgement?

Answer 33

The ability to make the right ethical decision; to determine the morally correct and wisest course of action. This requires the use of critical thinking skills and the ability to prioritize competing ethical principles and values.

Question 34

What is moral motivation?

Answer 34

The desire to do the right thing and to be a good and ethical person.

Question 35

What is Moral Character?

Answer 35

Possessing the maturity, courage, and discipline to follow through and do what you know is right in situations of strong temptation or great pressure from others.

Question 36

The professional behavior of peace officers and others in the criminal Justice system needs to come closer to ________ ethical behavior than may be possible in private life.

Answer 36

Ideal

Question 37

What are the six questions to an ethical decision making model?

Answer 37

• Is it legal?
• Is it permitted by your organizations code of conduct?
• how would it be viewed by your organizations code of ethics and shared values?
• Does your personal code of ethics approve?
• is it a true ethical dilemma? Do both choices appear to be right?
• can you apply the ethical decision making model for your organization?

Question 38

What are the 7 attitude changes a police will go through over the course of their career?

Answer 38

• idealistic
  New officers confident in their values.
• frustrated
  “The way things really are”
• defiant
  Take responsibility into our own hands, it often decisions are made hastily or dangerously. Going against department policy.
• resigned
  Officers become numb to their surroundings and feel aimless. Just punching in and out until retirement.
• aware
  Self analysis will bring an officer into realizing the dangers he could be doing to his family, community and department. First step towards a positive change.
• decisive
  Consciously marking positive action, making your life more vital, creative, and meaningful
• commitment
  We don’t expect perfection, but we know ourselves. We realize our sincere devotion, and purpose to our community and the people around us.

Question 39

What are some areas bias comes into play?

Answer 39

• Race/ethnicity
• behavior
• gender
• sexual orientation
• religious

Question 40

What is moral courage?

Answer 40

Is the the courage to take action for moral reasons despite the risk of adverse consequences. It involves deliberation or careful thought.

Examples: refusing gratuities, refusing to participate in cover-up, refusing to participate in ethnic or gender based humor, and duty to intervene.

Question 41

What is physical courage?

Answer 41

Facing barricaded, armed suspect or duty intervene.

Question 42

What is capital murder?

Answer 42

Certain aggravated murder which results in the death penalty in most U.S. states

Question 43

Criminal law relating to officer’s behavior?

Answer 43

• Unethical conduct on the part of peace officers can result in federal prosecution.
• there are specific statutes aimed at peace officers to prevent violations of civil rights.
• the fbi has a special role to investigate those accusations.
• those investigations are controlled out of Washington, DC to prevent friendships and working relationships between locally stationed FBI agents and the peace officer being investigated from being compromised.

Question 44

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any inhabitant of any state, territory, or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the constitution or laws of the United States, or because of this having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go into disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another. With intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or free enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured.

They SHALL be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both; and if death results. They shall be subject to imprisonment for any term of years or for life.

Answer 44

USC 241: Conspiracy against rights

Question 45

For the purpose of this law, acts under “color of law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official’s lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting under color of law within the meaning of this statute include police officers, prisons guards and other law enforcement officials, as well as judges, care providers in public health facilities, and others who are acting as public officials. It is not necessary that the crime be motivated by animus toward the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin of the victim.

Shall be fined no more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 year. The offense is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any.

Answer 45

USC 242: Deprivation of rights under color of law.

Question 46

What are the 5 civil penalties for inappropriate conduct?

Answer 46

• Sexual harassment-EEOC definitions USCA 1983 violation of civil rights
• Sexual harassment-penal code 39.03
• Texas commission on human rights-sexual harassment
• the definition of harassment as opposed to sexual harassment.

Question 47

What are the law enforcement canons of ethics?

Answer 47

• Primary responsibility of job
• limitations of authority
• duty to be familiar with the law and with responsibilities of self and other public officials
  -utilization of proper means to gain proper ends
• cooperation with public officials in the discharge of their authorized duties.
• private conduct
• conduct toward the public
• Conduct in arresting and dealing with law violators
• gifts and favors
• presentation of evidence
• attitude toward profession