What conflicts do you see between the formal law enforcement code of ethics and the police subculture or “Cop Code”? What ethical problems might these conflicts create? How are these two different ethical codes tied to public perceptions of the role of law enforcement?
The difference between the formal law enforcement code of ethics and the “Cop Code” is that formally, they are there to protect and serve the community. More often, however, they are perceived to protect themselves and each other. Time after time I have read the news article where a 16-year-old teenager was gunned-down by officers, and the officers are quoted as saying “he was reaching for a weapon”, or “he was going to attack us”. Meanwhile the distraught mother who saw the whole thing says “they just shot him, for no reason, they shot my baby!”.
These conflicts can cause the community to feel that they cannot trust law enforcement, and therefore might take matters into their own hands. Community members are aware of corruption in law enforcement. They hear about police brutality, and lying by the police to make their cases stronger. Personally, I feel there mostly good cops in my city, but there are also a lot of deaths caused by trigger-happy officers. It is no secret that there are officers that have been busted for drugs, rape, larceny, murder, attempted murder, etc. These stories are so common in my city that it is difficult to believe that the police are on my side; or that they are protecting me. Who is going to protect me from the police?
People trust in law enforcement when their complaints are heard and taken seriously; when disorderly officers are punished for unacceptable behavior; when women driving the highway at night are not afraid to pull over for the police. Actions speak louder than words. When the police are more open with the community, the community will reciprocate and put more trust into the police.
No comments:
Post a Comment