Reading 9: Ethics

Question 0

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POLICE ETHICS

A legal obligation is an ____________ one not a simple business decision. A legal obligation is also an ethical duty- it’s a part of being trustworthy, of having character.

Answer 0

Ethical

Question 1

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POLICE ETHICS

The idea of “police ethics” flourishes because some police employees compartmentalize their lives into personal and police domains, assuming each is governed by different _____________.

Answer 1

Standards of ethics

Question 2

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POLICE ETHICS

Ethics is not concerned with descriptions of the way things are but prescriptions for the way they ____________.

Answer 2

Ought to be

Question 3

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POLICE ETHICS

What is most puzzling about most instances of police wrongdoing is that they clearly contradict both the values that are held by most of us as individuals and the collective standards that we have established for appropriate _________________.

Answer 3

Professional behavior

Question 4

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POLICE ETHICS

It is a common struggle between our own _______ to be ________and the competing pressures of police performance.

Answer 4

Desire to be ethical

Question 5

SETTING THE STANDARD

It requires a clear vision of the desired outcomes in terms of the explicity identified ________values and a coherent implementation strategy.

Answer 5

Ethical

Question 6

SETTING THE STANDARD

Ethics are a function of the collective attitudes of the employees. And these attitudes are cultivated and supported by at least seven factors:

acronym

C.O.M.M. T.R.T.

1. Commitment to responsible ________
2. Open, honest, and ___________
3. Managements ____________
4. Mission/values statements that provide police workers with clarity about the ________________
5. Tools to help police employees resolve __________
6. Reward and recognition systems that reinforce the ______________
7. Trust in _____________

Answer 6

1. Commitment to responsible police conduct
2. Open, honest, and timely communications
3. Managements leadership
4. Mission/values statements that provide police workers with clarity about the organizations ethical expectation
5. Tools to help police employees resolve ethical problems
6. Reward and recognition systems that reinforce the importance of ethics
7. Trust in employees

Question 7

SETTING THE STANDARD

The challenge is to cultivate the kind of work environment in which people automatically _______________.

Answer 7

Do the right thing

Question 8

SETTING THE STANDARD

Ethics is about character and courage and how we meet the challenge when doing the right thing will cost more than we want to pay.

True or false ?

Answer 8

True

Question 9

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

Ethics is concerned with __________and how we should behave regarding both ends and means.

Answer 9

Moral duties

Question 10

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

Police work is an intrinsically practical service Enterprise that judges its employees and actions only in the terms of the _______________ and the achievement of results.

Answer 10

Effective use of power

Question 11

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

Ethos is the distinguishing character, moral nature, or ___________of a person, group, or institution.

Answer 11

Guiding beliefs

Question 12

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

The following are ethical values:

• honesty
• fairness
• trustworthiness
• integrity
• respect or others
• thoughtfulness
• compassion
• obedience to the law
• loyalty
• accountability
• honor

True or false?

Answer 12

True

Question 13

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

There are three vital steps to ethics:

1. Knowing what is_______
2. Being totally _________
3. __________

Answer 13

1. Knowing what is right
2. Being totally committed to it
3. Doing it

Question 14

ETHICS = MORAL DUTIES

DEFINITIONS:

Ethics = body of moral\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Moral = right of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Honesty = intending to act morally and thus subscribing to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Integrity = behaving in a moral way and thus manifesting \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Answer 14

Ethics = body of moral principles or values
Moral = right of conduct
Honesty = intending to act morally and thus subscribing to ethical principles
Integrity = behaving in a moral way and thus manifesting ethical principles

Question 15

THREE APPROACHES

When examining the ethics programs of police departments, it is useful to bare in mind the three very different approaches to dealing with ethical choices. These are:

1. Neglect, or the absence of any formal _________
2. Compliance-based programs;
3. Values-oriented programs

Answer 15

1. Neglect, or the absence of any formal ethical programs

Question 16

THREE APPROACHES

1. NEGLECT

The departments that ignore ethics do so on the basis of assumptions that are false and never challenged. They seem to view ethics either as unimportant or as a costly and inconvenient luxury. They are wrong on both counts.

True or false?

Answer 16

True

Question 17

THREE APPROACHES

2. COMPLIANCE-BASED PROGRAMS

Compliance-based programs are most often designed by legal counsel. They are based on rules and regulations with the goal of preventing, detecting, and punishing legal violations. The centerpiece of such programs is a comprehensive collection of regulations that spell out a universal code of police ethics. The code lays out rules for hiring practices, travel expenses, compliance with local laws, improper payments, gifts, and potential conflicts of interest. This approach doesn’t work well.

Second, a compliance-based program sends a disturbing message to the employees: we don’t respect your intelligence or trust you

True or false?

Answer 17

True

Question 18

THREE APPROACHES

3. VALUES-ORIENTED PROGRAMS

The values oriented approach relies on the identification of ethical principles. Each police agency is responsible for developing its own core ethical values. We use the six advocated by The Josephine Institute.

The six pillars of character are:

1. Trustworthiness
2. Respect
3. Responsibility
4. Fairness
5. Caring
6. Civic virtue and citizenship

Answer 18

1. Trustworthiness
   Trustworthiness is an especially important ethical value because it encompasses four separate ethical values: honesty, integrity, promise keeping, and loyalty.
2. Respect
   It imposes a moral duty to treat all persons with respect. This means we recognize and honor each person’s rights to autonomy and self-determination, privacy, and dignity.
3. Responsibility
   Ethical persons are responsible, an ethical concept that embodies three separate values: accountability, self restraint, and pursuit of excellence.
4. Fairness
   The concept embodies the values of justice, equity, due process, openness, and consistency. Fairness is one of the most elusive ethical values, since, in most cases, stakeholders with conflicting interests should be disagree on what is fair.
5. Caring
   At the core of many ethical values is concern for the interests of others. Persons who are totally self-centered tend to treat others simply as instruments of their own ends, and rarely do they feel an obligation to be honest, loyal, fair, or respectful.
6. Civic virtue and citizenship
   And ethical person acknowledges his civic duty that extends beyond his or her own self interests, demonstrating social consciousness and recognizing his or her obligations to contribute to the overall public good. Responsible citizenship involves community service and doing one’s share.

Question 19

THREE APPROACHES

SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER:

This principle-based approach balances ethical concerns of the community with the values of the ____________.

Answer 19

Police organization

Question 20

THREE APPROACHES

SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER:

The six pillars examines the complexity of issues that must be considered in each decision, and it defines the role each person’s ____________plays in carrying out his or her responsibilities in an ethical manner. This integrates ethics into departmental culture (which includes diversity, open communications, empowerment, recognition, teamwork, and honesty) and therefore into every aspect of police work - From personnel practices to relationships with the community. This integration is the adhesive of a seamless organization.

Answer 20

Judgment

Question 21

DOING ETHICS

Doing ethics means carefully thinking through the consequences of your actions and modifying your decisions to produce a ____________. Thinking ethically allows you to size up what you are told before deciding on it.

Answer 21

Desired outcome

Question 22

DOING ETHICS

By thinking ethically, you improve your __________ and make much better decisions.

Answer 22

Judgment

Question 23

DOING ETHICS

HOW ETHICAL THINKERS THINK

People who think ethically about what they’re been told before taking action have several qualities:

• they reflect on themselves and their values
• they support their views with evidence instead of assuming they’re right
• they see a broad range of moral opportunities and possibilities
• they are aware of the ways their own paradigms may affect the way they see things
• they know that the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart

These people are more likely to think of ____________ that help them succeed. They also are flexible enough to make adjustments when necessary.

Answer 23

Ethical decisions

Question 24

DOING ETHICS

HOW TO THINK ETHICALLY

1. See both sides of every issue:
   Consciously seek out viewpoints that are different from yours.
2. Size up what you’re being told:
   most of us are overwhelmed with information but are starved for _________ knowledge.
   To transform information into usable knowledge, we must evaluate the credibility of the information presented to us and apply it in our own lives. When you read or hear information, don’t assume it’s all true. Ask yourself the following questions:
   Who is providing me with the information?
   What is the original source of information?
   What are his/her ethics?
   What is the evidence presented?
3. Get your points across clearly:
   pay attention to the way you express your ideas; make sure you state your ideas logically. Use examples to make your point clear and easy to absorb.
   Treat conversations as an exploration of ethical issues and you’ll learn a great deal.
4. Master the process:
   Ethical thinking is much more than brainstorming. Ethical decisions often seen inspirational and off-the-cuff, but the best ones are thought through before being presented. For decision because truly ethical and valuable, there must be some level of practicality and credibility to it.

Answer 24

True