Correlation Between Moral Officer And Ethical Dilemmas

So, the individual in the scenario is an officer who has taken an oath to fairly, equally, and impartially enforce the law in their particular jurisdiction. Moreover, they work at a department where at least one officer was unprofessional and unethical in that he or she used excessive force when it was not necessary (Pollock, 2017). Consequently, the officers in the same division as the unethical officer state that they do agree with the excessive force, yet only one officer told the truth about the officer in questions actions. In fact, the division's personnel are angry at the officer who testified against the unethical officer; furthermore, they are harassing the moral officer and destroying their property. Thus, when you observe several officers destroying said moral officer’s property, and admitting to the illegal act when asked if you know anything about said incidents there is a decision to make.

For instance, the individual who acted morally in the first place is now being harassed unmercifully by the others in the division (Pollock, 2017). Hence, if the administration asks about what you have observed and heard, you may become a target for similar actions (Francis, Armstrong, & Foxley, (2015). Correspondingly, it is likely that those officers engaged in the harassing behavior lose their livelihood, thereby harming their families. Also, it is possible that even if you act ethically and tell what you know, leave the department to circumvent the possibility of harassment, that other department may not hire you to do to telling on other law enforcement officers. Therefore, your career may suffer if you choose to proceed morally. Subsequently, these possibilities promote silence regarding the immoral officers’ actions from a self-interest