Developing Ethical Leaders in Law Enforcement

Developing Ethical Leaders in Law Enforcement
At any point in time but especially during periods of social and political unrest, American citizens look to law enforcement authorities to provide them with the informed guidance and support they need to navigate their ways through these challenging times successfully. It is therefore incumbent upon law enforcement agencies at every level to create an organizational culture that places a high priority of ethical policing practices and to develop ethical leaders that can model the way for their subordinates. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature to explicate the importance of ethical leadership and to identify strategies for developing ethical leaders in law enforcement today. A summary of the research and key findings concerning these issues are presented in the paper’s conclusion.
Review and Discussion
Importance of Ethical Leadership in Law Enforcement
One of the major sacrifices that all law enforcement authorities make when they accept a badge is a career-long commitment to place the health and welfare of others above one’s own life. Indeed, law enforcement is an especially dangerous profession, and more than one hundred police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2018 alone, representing a 13% increase compared to 2017 (McCarthy, 2020). Despite the significant risks that are involved, thousands of new police cadets successfully complete a rigorous course of training and eagerly join the ranks of the 800,000 police officers already serving the citizens of the United States each year (Law enforcement facts, 2020).
Moreover, police officers are also expected to adhere to a higher ethical standard compared to other citizens by virtue of the trust instilled in them by the general public. For example, according to Owens and Pfeifer (2009), “Police are perceived as upholders and exemplars of the law and that such a position affords its holders power, status, and respect. This position, however, results in extraordinary expectations and, as such, police personnel are expected to be above all, ethical” (p. 124). In fact, this expectation even extends to police officers’ off-duty lives. In this regard, the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics published and maintained by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) clearly stipulates that, “I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all and will behave in a manner that does not bring discredit to me or to my agency” (Law enforcement code of ethics, 2020).
Furthermore, the commitment to serve means that law enforcement authorities are also expected to extend protection to everyone – and their property -- irrespective of their condition in life, gender orientation, place of origin, religion, ethnicity, and so forth. For example, the IACP’s Law Enforcement Code of Ethics also emphasizes that:
As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve the community; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality, and justice (Law enforcement code of ethics, 2020).
There are several other salient ethical guidelines set forth in the IACP’s code as well as similar codes of ethics published by other law enforcement agencies across the country. In other words, ethical practices go hand in hand with a police badge, and this commitment is acknowledge and accepted by all who enter the profession. Nevertheless, police work is typically fraught with numerous ethical dilemmas, many of which might be life threatening, that demand rapid but calm and reasoned responses that conform to the highest ethical standards. Clearly, this is a daunting enterprise in any profession but particularly in law enforcement. Fortunately, there are some strategies available that can help law enforcement agencies develop and maintain ethical leaders in their organizations and these issues are discussed further below.
Identifying Strategies for Developing Ethical Leaders in Law Enforcement
Developing ethical leadership in any organization begins at the top . In a law enforcement context, the process of developing ethical leaders involves both modeling the way for others and creating and maintaining an organizational culture that assigns a high priority to ethical policing practices (Hughes, 2017). Because of the profoundly challenging aspects of police work, however, ethical policing practices may take a back seat to the most efficient methods for resolving a potentially violent confrontation with criminal suspects. In other words, it is far easier and safer for police officers to simply kill suspects whether it is known if they are armed or not to protect their own lives and the lives of others, but this most pragmatic of solutions may not be most ethical alternative.
Notwithstanding these challenges, however, it is incumbent upon all police officers to consistently demonstrate those attributes which contribute to an ethical approach to law enforcement. In this regard, Hughes (2017) makes the point that, “As law enforcement evolves, competencies such as ethical decision-making are crucial [but] these are concepts not easily measured” (p. 10). While it may be difficult to precisely quantify ethical decision making, there is a growing body of scholarship which confirms that law enforcement officers can learn how to apply ethical decision making to their day-to-day policing activities in ways that help to develop ethical leaders (Owens & Pfeifer, 2009).
In addition, developing ethical leadership in law enforcement also demands that the so-called “code of silence” that characterizes many law enforcement agencies is not only inappropriate, it can exacerbate the potential for unethical behaviors. In this regard, Stierheim (2020) makes the point that, “To close our eyes to serious ethical transgressions, moral abuses, or corruption that can and should be confronted, or to duck issues that demand our leadership, is to fail in our professional responsibility to exemplify moral courage and public trust” (p. 20). The significance of this admonition concerning the code of silence can be readily discerned by the public’s negative reaction to isolated but high-profile cases of unethical policing practices whenever and wherever they occur.
Conclusion
The research was consistent in underscoring the importance of ethical leadership in general and law enforcement contexts in particular. Indeed, many people view the police as representing the epitome of ethical professionals since they are empowered – and entrusted – to make the split-second life and death decisions that are needed to protect citizens and their property. The research also showed that there is no longer any room for the code of silence that has long characterized many law enforcement agencies. Although the importance of ethical leadership in law enforcement is virtually undisputed, there were some differing views concerning optimal strategies for developing ethical law enforcement leaders. Some of the overarching themes to emerge from the review of the relevant literature, though, included the need for ethical leaders to model the way for others and to create and sustain an organizational culture that places a high priority of ethical law enforcement practices. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that modern policing methods will continue to change as a result of technological innovations in the future, the fundamental need for ethical leadership will remain essentially unchanged.
References
Hughes, P. J. (2017, January 1). A new sheriff in town. Advancing Women in Leadership, 31, 8-13.
Law enforcement code of ethics. (2020). The International Association of Chiefs of Police. Retrieved from https://www.theiacp.org/resources/law-enforcement-code-of-ethics.
Law enforcement facts. (2020). National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Retrieved from https://nleomf.org/facts-figures/law-enforcement-facts.
McCarthy, N. (2019, May 8). The number of U.S. police officers killed in the line of duty increased law year. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/05/08/the-number-of-u-s-police-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty-increased-last-year-infographic/#6bd306f11189
Owens, K. M. & Pfeifer, J. (2009, June). Police leadership and ethics: Training and policy recommendations. Canadian Journal of Police and Security Services, 1(2), 124-130.
Steirheim, M. (2020, March). The importance of ethical leadership and moral courage in pubic management. Public Management, 102(3), 19-23.