Why do we have Ethics?

Discussion 1
Please answers the following questions in a few sentences!

1. What is Ethics?

2. Why do we have Ethics?

3. Define the following terms and also give a real-life example of each, to wit:

Morals
Duties
Values
Wholesight
4. What are some of the ethical decisions you make daily?

5. What are Braswell et al.’s (2008) five goals in understanding ethics in criminal justice?

6. What is the most essential ethical challenge or concern in criminal justice today?

7. Please briefly summarize the student’s intention for enrolling in this class. This summary should not exceed three to five sentences.

Acquainting Yourself with Ethics

You are on patrol and stop a vehicle for expired registration. You approach the driver and notice it is an old friend from school. You give a verbal warning to her and tell her she is free to go. Before leaving, she says it was great to see you again. She asks if you want to get coffee sometime and hands you her phone number.

1. Would letting her go without issuing a citation be ethical?

2. Is it appropriate for a police officer to agree to have coffee with an old friend?

3. Would it be considered unethical for a police officer and an old friend to exchange phone numbers?

Power and Discretion to Arrest
You are a police officer working the night shift, but you still have a few hours to go and are looking for some caffeine to help you push through the remainder of your shift. You stop at the local store on your beat for some coffee, and a man, who you later learn is the owner, tells you that coffee is now free for all law enforcement; because of how tired you are, you gladly oblige. Over your next few shifts, you visit this store to get coffee. Around a month later, you are about to finish your last shift before a long-awaited vacation when you notice a vehicle making erratic movements ahead of you. You decide to stop the individual and, as you approach the car, realize it is the store’s owner. Upon questioning, you know he is severely intoxicated. He says he notices you from his store and pleads with you that he cannot afford to go to jail as his business will certainly suffer. Conflicted by how charitable he has been to you in the past, you decide to drive him home instead of arresting him.

Which type of corruption (hedonistic or obligatory) does the officer engage in?

Would this scenario be an example of the warning by Goldstein that accepting small gratuities is often the beginning of a “slippery slope of moral career?”

How can you help with this situation?

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