Ethics training for law enforcement: A study of current practices.

摘要

Training tools and subject-matter for teaching ethics to law enforcement personnel were examined. A literature review revealed seven categories of training tools including: (a) books and publications, (b) case studies of ethical dilemmas, (c) codes of ethics, (d) decision-making processes, (e) films, (f) philosophies and philosophers, and (g) whistle-blowing (reporting the misconduct of others). Determining the most useful training tool for maintaining proper behavior and improving recalcitrant behavior is an important step in developing effective law enforcement training. In the summer of 2005, a multimethod survey examined the preferences of three populations. The populations were in-service police officers from Phoenix, Arizona, retired police officers from Phoenix, Arizona, and a nationwide group of ethics instructors. Respondents were asked to identify the ethics training tool believed to be most useful for law enforcement training towards maintaining proper behavior and improving recalcitrant behavior. The research found that all three populations chose case studies more frequently than any of the other six tools.; Respondents also ranked each of the seven training tools on a usefulness scale. Ethics instructors' rated the usefulness of case studies higher than in-service or retired officers did. Two of the training tools: books and publications, and philosophies and philosophers, received higher usefulness rankings from the ethics instructors' population than from the in-service or retired officers' populations.; Some retired officers indicated a preference for codes of ethics while some in-service officers showed preferences for decision-making process and films. Whistle-blowing (reporting the misconduct of others) was a controversial item, drawing several unfavorable comments from in-service officers. The unfavorable comments about whistle-blowing by in-service officers were countered by favorable comments about whistle-blowing from other respondents in all three populations.; The research concluded that all seven of the ethics training tools were believed to have some usefulness according to respondents from each of the three populations. Ethics trainers should examine their chosen subject matter and evaluate whether or not the subject matter is adequately serving student needs. Ethics trainers with limited instruction time available should consider case studies of ethical dilemmas as a primary choice of ethics training tools. Other training tools should also be employed as time permits.