Hallontological Ethics In Policing

Ethics is grounded on right and wrong, as well as character. If a police officer doesn’t have character, then he/she is more often to act in an unethical manner compared to someone who has character. The cornerstone of policing has always been proper ethical behavior and is what society expects from our police officers. As citizens we rely on police officers to protect and serve in line with justice as we give up the right to enforce laws or take the law into our own hands. If we didn’t have police officers, then we would be a society of “only the strongest survive” as you see in various Third World Countries throughout the world. When we look at police officers and their responsibilities we can often associate their actions are drawn

This means officers may not consider the consequences of their immediate actions but have a moral responsibility and immediate duty to act in the situation and resolve it (Ortmeier & Meese, 2010). Don’t misinterpret the idea officers completely ignore the consequences but focus on the quality of the action, at times, takes precedence over the outcome. Police officers must respect every citizen’s rights, attempt to serve their best interest and take appropriate actions that help the people of the communities they serve. In the end, deontological ethics is duty driven (2010). According to Immanuel Kant, an 18th Century philosopher, he proposed the theory that morally correct action is performed based on duty alone. Kant’s theory falls within the concept of rule-based deontologist and can be best described as a person’s choice to act according to a set of rules. Kant also believed that there is a law of right and wrong and one is obliged at all times to behave in a manner one would hope all people would follow. (Peak, Stitt, & Glensor, 1998). Police officers are guided through their daily activities by policies, procedures and the letter of the law to create a safe environment. Police enforce laws and rules but at times must violate those laws and rules for the best interest of the communities they serve