What Contributes to Unethical Conduct?

In the past, public inquiries have been established with an intention of investigating and unearthing unethical conduct amongst law enforcement officers. In the end, individual officers end up being put on trial and the reputation of the profession as a whole suffers immensely. The readings and the unit discussion have been a very important learning opportunity with regard to what exactly triggers unethical behavior in an organizational setting, and most specifically in police departments.

I was particularly intrigued by the fact that unethical conduct is in most instances triggered by strong emotions that have been left unchecked. This is more so the case given that the very nature of police work could invite feelings of victimization, isolation, as well as exploitation. For instance, when a law enforcement officer views himself as a victim of the system, he or she feels entitled to better treatment and as a consequence, he or she could try to even things out by engaging in unethical behavior.

Ethical dilemmas are common. Further, law enforcement as a profession is not likely to cast off some of the challenges officers face in the conduct of their duties. With that in mind, in seeking to minimize or eliminate unethical behavior in the force, the relevance of addressing the root cause of the concerns at hand cannot be overstated. It is time that the fears and concerns of officers started being addressed and referred appropriately.