Ethics & Morals

Law Enforcement Ethics

Watching the news today one would tend to believe the majority of law enforcement officers are blood-thirsty, depraved, psychopathic heathens whose only purpose is to maim or kill innocent people. This could not be any further from the truth.

The truth of the matter is the majority of law enforcement officers are good and decent people, trying to do their job well. Just as the old newspaper adage indicates, “If it bleeds, it leads”, the reports of police misconduct get the attention from the press. Very seldom do you hear about the good done by a law enforcement officer, but we are exposed every day to the horror stories, (most often before the facts are discovered).

Factual studies do show an increase in police misconduct; excessive use of force; sexual misconduct; drugs / DWI; and more. What is the cause of this uptick? I do not claim to know the definitive answer, but I do believe two major factors are hiring people not suited to the job, and a lack of ethics and morality.

Not everybody is suited to a career in law enforcement. While I do not think of cops as special, it takes a certain personality and attitude to be successful in the position. The same goes for farmers, doctors, mechanics, pilots, teachers, fire fighters, soldiers, factory workers, etc. To excel in any career choice, you have to fit to that career.

The number of qualified applicants to law enforcement agencies is declining. Low pay, long hours, loss of time spent with family, (think missed birthdays, anniversaries, holidays), and now an onslaught of negative publicity. This shallow hiring pool can and does lead to lesser qualified applicants being hired; being put in a position of trust and authority.

Lesser qualified applicants / officers may not possess the proper ethics for the job, which can lead to misconduct and violations of the trust conferred upon these officers by the public they are sworn to protect and serve. Ethics violations, minor or severe are still violations not to be tolerated, especially in law enforcement.

Ethics violations in law enforcement are either illegal or immoral; sometimes both. For instance, if an officer is married, but chooses to have a girlfriend / boyfriend on the side, that is both a violation of ethics and immoral. Should an officer misappropriate public funds, either directly, (purchasing an item or service for personal use, using department funds to do so); or indirectly, (using department / public owned equipment or vehicles for personal use or gain), would be an ethics violation and illegal. If an officer acts in an official capacity outside of his jurisdiction without proper authorization, that would be unethical and illegal.

As you can see, ethics violations cannot be tolerated in law enforcement, and as your Miller County Sheriff, I will not tolerate it in my department. As a condition of employment, my Deputies will be required to sign and adhere to a Code of Ethics. Should a violation be proven to have occurred, disciplinary measures will be taken. Depending on the severity of the violation, this could range from counseling on the matter to termination of employment.

Most law enforcement departments utilize a similar approach, either with a written Code of Ethics, or an unwritten understanding that such violations will send the officer packing. Often times, these same officers find employment at another department.

Why would a Sheriff or Police Chief take a chance on hiring such an officer? For one reason, that aforementioned shallow hiring pool may lead a department head to overlook a minor violation. The applicant already possesses law enforcement training, which can be a cost saving factor. Also, law enforcement officers are people, and people can learn from their mistakes and change for the better.

But, there is another issue at hand. Many department heads mistakenly believe if a person is fired from a law enforcement job, and then applies for a job with a different department, their former employer is not legally allowed to say why the officer was terminated. This is incorrect.

According to Missouri Revised Statute 290.152, not only can the former employer answer “yes” or “no” when asked whether or not the terminated employee would be considered for rehiring, the former employer may “Truly state for what cause, if any, such employee was discharged or voluntarily quit such service”. This release of information must be factual and documented, and may not be slanderous in nature.

Without disclosing the true reason for an employee’s dismissal, that leaves the prospective employer only a typical background search of the applicant’s job history, (where they have worked and for how long); where they have lived; any history of bankruptcy; etc. This lack of true and accurate background information regarding the terminated officer’s work history often leads to lesser qualified officers bouncing around from one department to another. This is so common, in law enforcement circles these officers are known as “gypsy cops”.

As your Miller County Sheriff, I pledge to do my best to employ qualified individuals to serve and protect the citizens of Miller County. I further pledge to enforce the Code of Ethics each Deputy will sign. Honor and trust will mean something in my department. Law Enforcement Ethics


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