Writing Homework Help
SDSU Law Enforcement Agency Higher Standards Reading Response Discussion
Write a 100-word response to each student in first person as if you were writing it to the students. Talk about how you agree with their ideas and add your own thoughts. Make sure it’s respectful.
Student1: It seems hard to argue that law enforcement officers and those in the criminal justice field should not be held to a higher standard, even outside of the hours of work. While I’m sure we are all aware that this is not always the case, one would hope that those attracted to this field of work should be interested in upholding strong ethical values. Personally, I would feel far more comfortable in society with people that have strong moral values being in these positions of power. Having an understanding and some amount of practice of the principles of tolerance, understanding, and standing up against evil both inside and outside of work seem like they should be standard operating characteristics of what criminal justice representatives should be (Banks, 2020).
However, our society is not perfect and many people in positions of power in the criminal justice field lack these traits. So, when they are found in situations in which they may face punishment for violating the law, I also think they should be punished equally to or harsher than an average citizen, who may have less access to training on the law, ethics, de-escalation, and crisis intervention, all of which can address the sensitivities of dealing with the public and morality.
Banks, C. (2020). Criminal justice ethics (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing. ISBN-13: 9781544353593
Student 2: Although attorneys, police officers, and judges are all a part of the criminal justice system, they are also part of everyday civilian life. However, due to their professions, they are often faced with making many decisions that involve ethical issues (Banks, 2020). These decisions also must be made without bias or the inclusion of personal morals and values. However, having the title of a professional within the criminal justice system also comes with being held at a higher ethical standard. While these professionals also have a personal life, they also have a separate code of ethics to uphold. For instance, police officers are to behave in a manner that does not discredit themselves or the agency in which they are employed (Banks, 2020). According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP, n.d), part of the law enforcement code of ethics is to keep their personal life impeccable as an example to all. Because of the nature of their professions, they should be held at a higher standard of ethics. These professions deal with highly sensitive and confidential topics regularly, which also requires a different ethical standard than regular citizens. Having a life outside of work is also important. Those who hold positions such as these also face a vast amount of stress, but this does not mean that they should not uphold their ethical responsibilities outside of work. If these professionals are found to be in violation of these standards, it is my belief that they should not get a lesser punishment than if they were not. They are fully aware of the standards that they are to abide by and should not be able to use their power as means to receive a lesser punishment.
Savannah
References:
Banks, C. (2020). Criminal justice ethics (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing. ISBN-13: 9781544353593
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (n.d.). Law enforcement code of ethics. https://www.theiacp.org/resources/law-enforcement-code-of-ethics