Courtesy Within Criminal Justice

Professional Courtesy in the Criminal Justice System There are many areas of life where professional courtesy can and should be used out of respect for others. Professional courtesy generally refers to how certain professions have understandings among their members, that may also extend to the families of those members (Fuller, 2005). In the criminal justice system, professional courtesy generally relates to how some crimes and minor infractions can be engaged in without fear of tickets, fines, or arrests.

The use of confidential plates, family cards, and "thin blue line" stickers on vehicles are all examples of professional courtesy used in the criminal justice system (Fuller, 2005). However, whether professional courtesy should be used in criminal justice is a question that does not have easy answers. How that question gets answered may also be affected by who is asked the question, and whether that person is part of the criminal justice system in any way.

Those who are part of the system will likely not object to professional courtesy being used, but those who are not part of the system may feel it is inappropriate. The argument could be made that professional courtesy in the criminal justice system encourages illegal behaviors. If a person knows he or she can "get away with" a particular crime or infraction, there is no need for that person to attempt to avoid that particular choice.

This is worth considering, especially based on whether professional courtesy should be allowed at all or whether there should be a "line" that cannot be crossed when it comes to how much a person in the criminal justice field can do without getting into legal trouble (Fuller, 2005). Naturally, these people are not exempt from charges like rape and murder, and they cannot burn down buildings or rob people. What they can generally do without fear of legal trouble are things like speeding and other traffic infractions.

There are also some arguments made that minor crimes are "allowed," but the definition of what those crimes might be can vary. Whether a person who works in criminal justice can avoid significant traffic infractions like DUI is also debatable, and may depend on the person, the specific circumstances, and the department to which that person belongs (Nalder & Kamb, 2007).

Police officers and other who work in the criminal justice system often have an unspoken bond regarding how they treat one another, and they do tend to give one another breaks that they would not give to the average person. Generally, these breaks are also for the families of those in the criminal justice field, depending on the infraction and the officer who happens upon the person committing the infraction (Fuller, 2005).

The idea of professional courtesy is certainly not new, but it is possible to take this courtesy too far -- especially in the case of criminal justice. Those who are sworn to uphold the law are supposed to do so regardless of the circumstances, and are not supposed to pick and choose whether the law is upheld based on the person who committed some kind of crime or infraction (Nalder & Kamb, 2007). The law is a blanket issue, not one that should be arbitrarily applied.

In short, professional courtesy is not really what people in criminal justice are getting when they are not cited for obvious infractions or crimes. That is not being courteous to someone. It is encouraging illegal behavior because.