Criminal Justice Ethics in Chapter Term Paper

Similarly, Jerome H. Skolnick and Richard a. Leo describe the legal and moral gray areas of police work in Chapter Five: "The Ethics of Deceptive Interrogation." Whereas the use of physical force was tolerated in the past, nowadays, psychological coercion is more the norm. Psychological coercion raises a host of complex issues that use of physical force does not. The legal system has attempted and continues to try to differentiate between what should and should not be acceptable police practices, but the law remains deliberately vague. For example, the Miranda decision of 1966 clarified the specific interrogation and arrest guidelines used by officers but even the reading of Miranda rights can be a manipulative function. Confessions must be reliable and fair. Trickery and deceit are commonplace in the interrogation procedure, for the officer of the law continually straddles the line between ethics and the necessity of capturing criminals.

Joycelyn Pollock describes police ethics in terms of four basic categories in Chapter 6: "Ethical Dilemmas in Police Work." The issues addressed in the literature, such as corruption, brutality, and bribery, are not necessarily encountered by police officers on a daily basis. In fact, many officers note that drinking, sleeping, and having sex on the job are more common ethical offenses than bribery (90). Pollock notes that officers generally view five main elements that comprise the "good" police officer: legality, service, honesty/integrity, loyalty, and ascription to the Golden Rule. These five elements can be grouped into four main ethical categories: those involving discretion and the law; those involving duty and service; those involving honesty; and those involving loyalty. Of these, the conflict between loyalty and whistleblowing and the use of discretion in difficult situations are the most significant and widespread ethical issues experienced by officers of the law.

Victor E. Kappeler also investigates the complexities of police ethics in Chapter Seven, entitled "Police Ethics, Legal Proselytism, and the Social Order: Paving the Path to Misconduct." The author states that the path to unethical conduct "begins with a way of thinking," (111). Many individuals fall into the trap of black-and-white morals, which can be morally and ethically blinding. Officers of the law contend with a series of ethical conundrums, such as the fact that many behaviors that are permitted legally are actually unethical, such as the use of manipulation. Such behaviors are not only acceptable as a part of the job, but are even expected of the officer. Police officers can therefore get away with more borderline or overtly unethical behavior without suffering personal or social consequences. Furthermore, officers of the law can develop elaborate means of self-justification, including denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemning the condemners, and especially, appeals to higher loyalties. Finally, Kappeler asserts that police ethics are a collective responsibility.