¶ … Police Use 'Fake News' in Sting Aimed at California Gang," ABC news reporter Melley (2016) describes a recent and unusual tactic used by Santa Monica Police Chief Ralph Martin. The story details how Police Chief Martin issued a press release that was picked up by the Santa Monica Sun. The press release said that two gang members had been arrested. It later turned out the press release was false, issued by the Police Chief in order to entrap other members of the gang. Investigators later deemed the fake press release legal, even if it does raise serious ethical issues about the behavior of the Chief of Police. "There was nothing illegal about what police did, but it could raise questions about the department's future credibility," said one journalism professor interviewed for the story (Melley, 2016). Harming the credibility of the police could in itself be considered a significant ethical violation on the part of the Department's chief -- its leader and its representative as interface between law enforcement and the community. In an era in which trust between citizens and law enforcement has already become dangerously eroded, this act does continue to undermine police credibility.
The reasoning behind...
Sting operations "routinely use ruses to lure deadbeat parents, traffic-fine scofflaws and people wanted for all kinds of outstanding warrants to collect prizes they think they've won," (Melley, 2016). However, police codes of ethics mandate that police "protect the innocent against deception," (Grant, 2002, p. 11). If a person is innocent until proven guilty, then the use of deception is patently unethical, especially from an officer in a position of leadership. Deceiving the general public and the media is also unethical, because, as one newspaper spokesperson said, the Chief of Police "used a public system paid for with public dollars to present false information to the public," (Melley, 2016). The role of the media in this case is multifaceted and varied. The police used the media to accomplish their self-serving goals, showing great disrespect of the media on the part of law enforcement. The ends do not always justify the means; there were other ways to catch the gang members. However, the police chief defends his own actions using a utilitarian framework: if the consequences worked out, then the ends do justify the means. In response, the media…
While he agrees that ethics training plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the profession and insulating it from corruption, the detective believes that societal dynamics are more important in that sense than any kind of formal training. Theories of Police Misconduct: The special agent expressed the belief that criminality has many different causes and that they operate both individually and in myriad combinations in different people. He acknowledges
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Police officers need to understand that there exists a balance between security and the individual's freedom (Banks, 2009). Officers are also susceptible to corruption, and therefore need to understand that the causes of corruption are often identified and combated through an understanding of and respect for the justice system that is currently in place. Police officers also need to be trained properly, with a foundation in the same concepts
data collection includes survey form, structured interviews using closed ended questions, and gathering information regarding a sample size appropriate to analyze and draw conclusion on the basis of the research results. The statistical techniques are used for data analysis to analyze collected data in quantitative research methods. The qualitative data is gathered through case study method and open ended question of an unstructured interview from notable sample. The qualitative
Developing and Sustaining an Organizational Culture of Integrity During an era in American history when charges of unethical business practices extend even into the White House, identifying opportunities to develop an organizational culture of integrity has assumed new importance and relevance. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature concerning the importance of developing a culture of integrity and how this can be accomplished in
During the 1960's and 1970's, violent contact with the police, resulting in force occurred during anti-war, labor and civil rights demonstrations, during a politically tumultuous time. It is safe to conclude that excessive force was used during these clashes. Deaths and injuries were the results of political clashes at the Republican Convention in Chicago, during campus riots held at several universities, during political demonstrations held in public places and in