CHAPTER V

Police Ethics

The Police and the Law

The police must apply the law fairly, evenhandedly with a view to promote justice. Laws are
created by legislatures presumably for the best interest of all the people.
Philippines, like other countries is a country of laws and constitutional principles, the main
purpose of which is to create a society where everybody is free to pursue what he or she, individually
believes is the good in life.
The police must understand the true meaning of justice before acting and must behave in an
honorable way as law enforcer. In a true sense, the police must be fair in the application of the laws of
the land to everybody irrespective of the status of said individual in a given community.
In a great extent, the actions of the police determine what the law really means.

The police make the written laws of the penal code come to life for the public.

Ethics in Law Enforcement and Policing

It's often said that no other profession demands a higher ethical standard than that of law
enforcement. Regardless of whether or not there are other careers that require a similar dedication to
doing the right thing, it is undeniable that there an understandably tremendous degree of expectations
placed upon police officers.

Police Officers Must Live in a Fishbowl

Every officer knows or at least should know by now that they live in a fishbowl. Friends,
relatives, neighbors, and strangers watch every move law enforcement officers make, both on and off
duty. The fact that the public scrutinizes police officers more than most other professions because they
are cynical and hope to catch them screwing up or because they are hopeful and are looking for a good
example and a strong leader. In either case, it's up to the officer to be above reproach in both his public
and private life.
Unfortunate though it may be, a single ill-mannered act committed by a single unprofessional
officer can impact the entire law enforcement profession. Rarely does the public make a distinction
between uniforms; at the end of the day, all police officers look and act the same in the eyes of the
average citizen. That's why it is so vitally important that each and every officer does her utmost best to
maintain and build on the trust that the public has given her, instead of squandering it simply for the
sake of bravado, greed or self-gratification.
Some professional organizations may define their ethical approach in terms of a number of
discrete components.

Typically these include:

1. Honesty
2. Integrity
3. Transparency
4. Accountability
5. Confidentiality
6. Objectivity
7. Respect
8. Obedience to the law
9. Loyalty
CRIM 102-PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS
Kristelle Ann R. Torres, RCrim, MSCJ (Guest Lecturer III, 2nd Sem AY 20-21) Page 38
Definitions of justice
Justice as process — Justice prevails when people under similar circumstances are treated in an
equal and fair manner before the law.
Justice as substance — Justice prevails when people receive from the law what they deserve to
receive.
Three (3) major functions of the police which are admittedly vague and often in conflict with
each other
1. Enforce the law
2. Maintain order
3. Provide community service

The Need for Police to Study Ethics

Why is it important for the police officers today to discuss morality in relation to their work?
Here are some of the reasons why:
1. Limited Police Academy Training in Ethics
2. Limited Academic Training in Ethics
3. The Intellectual Capabilities of Today’s Officer

Police Professionalism
The first era in the history of policing was introduced by Robert Peel, an English statesmen, with
the establishment of the Metropolitan Police of London in 1829. The Members of the Metropolitan
Police were regarded as professional because they were hired, trained and paid to do the job on a full
time basis. These people replaced a semi-voluntary system night watchmen. This is referred to as
“Political Era’ which was followed by the Reform Era between 1910 and 1950.
During the Reform Era strict controls were placed on police officers and police organizations in
order to fight the corruption and incompetence of police officers. Chains of Command were tightened,
uniforms and a more military look were harnessed and Internal Affairs were created to investigate
accusation of police misconduct. The police academy was invented, and training was taken seriously for
professionalizing the police.

Definitions of a Professional
1. A professional is anyone who does a job for pay
2. A professional is anyone who looks clean cut, disciplined, and polished when on the job
3. A professional is anyone who develops and uses a special skill at work
4. A professional is anyone who possesses an academic experience and possesses a body of
knowledge that is unknown to lay people

Professionals possess
1. Knowledge
2. Education
3. Regulation
4. Discipline
5. Problem Solving

The Professional Officer (William K Muir) possesses:

1. Passion
2. Perspective

CRIM 102-PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Kristelle Ann R. Torres, RCrim, MSCJ (Guest Lecturer III, 2nd Sem AY 20-21) Page 39
 Passion — the understanding that resorting to violence or threats is ethically acceptable if and
only if it is done in the interest of justice and in accordance with the welfare of the community; that no
guilt need be associated with the pain or unpleasantness of using force.
Perspective — the development of an inner understanding of the motives of the people, a sense
of life’s causes and effects, and a knowledge of the tragedy of life (that all people suffer sometimes, that
everyone yearns for some dignity, and that no individual is worthless.)

A Vision of Ethical Policing

The ethically ideal police system would be one with integrity and nothing puzzling about it (i.e.,
there would be no corruption or misconduct). There would be no us-against-them and no disrespect for
the limits of the law or how it is enforced. Everything done in private would be just as if it was done in
public. Mistakes would be treated as learning opportunities, but there would be less of them because of
widespread adherence to the values of probity, propriety, restraint, reasonableness, and caution.
Recruitment, selection, and training mechanisms would be flawless, with promotion on the basis
of merit, no one being without ample supervision, and the organization giving its personnel whatever
resources they need to perform their work better. There would be “open door” policies to the public,
academics, and the media. Nothing the police do or how they do it would come as a surprise to anyone.
They would conduct themselves, as August Vollmer once said, in ways that make it impossible for
anyone to make a joke about them.
Besides having the public on their side, the police desperately need to have politicians who care
more about the public interest than their own political survival or advancement. Ethical policing works
best in an ethical climate. However, even if the political leaders are a bunch of bunglers, and even if all
society becomes a Sodom and Gomorrah, this is no excuse for the police to abandon their ethics. Their
commitment to a code of ethics is unconditional. You don’t lower your ideals (or revise your mission
statement) just because the environment have changed. The true test of character is keeping your faith
in the face of adversity.

Professional Code of Ethics

Every criminal justice profession and association has “codes” of ethics, “canons” of professional
responsibility, “statements” of values, “principles” of conduct, “standards” of practice and “oaths" of
office, along with “pledges”, “vows”, “maxims” “credos’, prayers’, “tenets”, and “declarations”.
Otherwise, there’s no need for a code of ethics at all. This is especially relevant to police work,
where it’s going to take more than just a commitment to being an ordinary, decent human being.
The practice of a profession cannot be regulated entirely by legislation. Each profession
therefore subscribes to a set moral code. This Code of Ethics guides the actuation of a professional
where the law is silent or inadequate.
A Code of Ethics implies that, before anything else, a professional is a person who has the
obligation to listen to the “dictates of reason’. The need for it is obviously to advantage of the profession
Codes of ethics have long been associated with profession bodies and groups.

Some important steps to follow

1. Get started on your code of ethical conduct.
2. Conduct initial research.
As a first step, check for two important ingredients:
2.1. Investigate any current legislative requirements guiding ethical conduct in your field, and be
prepared to take immediate action if any anomalies are uncovered.

CRIM 102-PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Kristelle Ann R. Torres, RCrim, MSCJ (Guest Lecturer III, 2nd Sem AY 20-21) Page 40
 2.2. Check the top-five traits or values espoused by your own professional association.
3. Secure commitment.
4. Focus on your organization.
5. Consider a social audit.
6. Assemble high-priority ethical values.
7. Compose and circulate a draft code.
8. Adopt the final code.
9. Institute a procedure for dealing with issues.
10. Review bi-annually.

CRIM 102-PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Kristelle Ann R. Torres, RCrim, MSCJ (Guest Lecturer III, 2nd Sem AY 20-21) Page 41