Police Ethics: A Matter Of Character Flashcards
Community Oriented Policing (COP)
Philosophy of Modern, professional policing
Occupying Army
Laws are created by legislatures, and the police cannot think or act as if they are completely free, by themselves, to define legal and illegal, to decide who are inherently good people an who are inherently bad people, or to rule the streets as occupying army
Collegial
As colleagues; refers to the problem-solving methods utilized among professionals.
CSI Effect
The idea that the media presents unrealistic images to the public of the police, how they operate, and what they are capable of accomplishing
Curbside Justice:
Police-invoked justice on the streets, often involving the use of excessive force
Decriminalization
Making something that is a crime into a non-crime through the exercise of police discretion
Dirty Harry Problem
The idea that some police officers will break the procedural law in order to enforce substantive law; done in the name of getting the job done.
Discretionary decision making
Choosing between options, especially when deciding how to invoke the law
Deontology
Judgements of moral obligation; a term used for ethical systems that identify a person’s intentions as the center of moral gravity
Ethical Dilemma
A choice between incompatible course of action, each which is ethically defensible
The Good
That which makes a person’s life worthwhile, happy, sustaining; defined uniquely by each individual for themselves; “the pursuit of happiness” as defined by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.
Justice as process
Justice defined as equal treatment
Justice as substance
Justice as what a person deserves
Noble cause corruption
Dirty Harry-like behavior; involves police officers breaking the procedure law in order to enforce substantive law
Occupying Army
The police behaving as if they are the foreigners, repressing American citizens
Professionalism
Defined Variously, but in this context the police taking a place among doctors, lawyer, etc.
Self-Disciplining
The practice of professionals setting up standard of conduct for their own profession and then holding the peers accountable to the same
Self-Regulation
The practice of professionals developing and applying their own standards to their endeavor-standards involving minimum educational standards, licensing requirements, training practices, and so forth
Teleology
The position that design or ultimate purpose is a principle that organizes growth or development; the overall purpose of a thing or action that guides its development toward a particle end. For example, the oak tree is the telos (the natural end) of an acorn.
Sir Robert Peel and the English Parliament
Created the first English Police Force in 1829 (The Metropolitan Police of London) they considered that they created a “professional” police force.
Chains Of Command
Organizational system wherein order are devloped at upper levels and handed down the hierachy to be followed by lower-level functionaries.
Collegial problem solving
professional mode of solving problems wherein peers come together and find solutions in a equitable and democratic fashion.
Field Training Officers
Experienced officers who train and mentor rookie officers out on the street after thy have completed the academy experience
Integrated passion
Understanding that it is morally acceptable to use coercion in the name of accomplishing good ends.
