January 1991 POINT OF VIEW REDEDICATING OURSELVES TO LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT By Vane R. King Lieutenant Flint, Michigan, Police Department "Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess." John Gardner Corruption, drug abuse, conduct unbecoming an officer--these are just a few of the dangerous and troubling situations that could challenge law enforcement professionals as they strive to meet their responsibilities in today's rapidly changing and highly intricate social environment. Unfortunately, just as the criminal activity law enforcement officers are sworn to combat grows more violent and sophisticated, clear ethical codes of conduct are not always stressed by today's police leadership. To be sure, many departments emphasize ethics and even offer special training in this area, but the modern temptations facing today's officers require a rededication to basic ethical behavior by both street officers and police managers. Ethical issues and values are most certainly not a new concern in law enforcement. However, they have never before been so publicized nor have the stakes involved been so high. As Patrick V. Murphy, former New York City Police Commissioner, notes, "Corruption, brutality, racial discrimination, improper political interference, unequal enforcement, bribery, and gratuities can appear to be commonplace. The cost of unethical conduct by police is high--an excess of preventable crime, a low level of respect for the police, and a loss of citizen cooperation on which police effectiveness depends." (1) Because aberrant police behavior results in shattered lives and an erosion of public confidence and support, ethical concerns in policing remain great. Officers and managers alike are expected to perform their duties in a wide variety of interpersonal situations where values and ethics are of tantamount importance. Functioning with minimal supervision and little time for reflection, they are required to make complex and crucial decisions, many of which are irrevocable, (2) during highly emotional, fast-moving, stressful situations. In time, values and ethics may denigrate, and the prolonged effects of this can be harmful and far-reaching. And because police officers continue to face ethical questions, administrators must positively impact on their ability to deal with these ethical entanglements. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE In 1956, the National Conference of Police Associations, representing approximately 200,000 police officers, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police adopted the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Leaders in law enforcement, as well as rank-and-file officers throughout the Nation, offered their suggestions and participated in its formulation. This code of ethics offered solutions to many of the police officer's everyday problems. But times have changed, and according to various media sources, so have police officers, not so much with regard to their collective values, but to their faithfulness to those values. Many outside law enforcement view the police as having "doughnut shop ethics." As Bruce Benson and Gil Skinner wrote, "Police think nothing of accepting `harmless' gratuities--the free coffee, the half-price meals, `badging' their way into a movie." (3) Unfortunately, tomorrow (or is it today?) these same officers may think little of payoffs, ripoffs, and assaults. By starting off small, they can lose control and allow themselves to go too far. The local headlines tell the story. The question then becomes, "What can be done to positively influence an officer's ability to deal with ethical entanglements?" LEADERSHIP ROLE To begin, law enforcement managers must provide an atmosphere conducive to proper value judgments by their officers, especially during those situations where the outcome is based on discretion. To accomplish this goal, they must nurture a more highly developed sense of ethical responsibility and an inner code of ethics. Police leaders set the moral tone of the department; therefore, they are obligated to set an ethical example for others to follow. Whether they want to accept it or not, top management serves as a key reference point for all subordinates. If the truth be known, "...ethical standards drop rapidly when employees see their supervisors engage in questionable managerial practices. What is needed more than anything else is leadership." (4) While police leaders control the working environment and serve as role models, they must also educate personnel in sound decisionmaking practices. Police officers may misdefine their roles. Therefore, it is up to managers to evaluate what the public expects and to communicate clearly and inculcate values to their staffs--fairness, honesty, reliability, and accountability. (5) Motivation Managers must begin with self-motivation. The key is the dedication and sacrifice that are required and demanded from the professional police officer. Professional law enforcement is no place for the officer whose philosophy in life is "What's in it for me?" Satisfaction in law enforcement must come from doing the job to the best of one's individual abilities and not be solely dependent upon the final outcome. As the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics points out, the mission and duty of law enforcement is to protect and serve. The code addresses many issues, including human and constitutional rights, prejudice, conduct unbecoming an officer, physical assault, compliance with laws and regulations, protection of confidential information, attitude, appearance, values, fairness, unnecessary force, public trust, public faith, and being true to the ethics of police service. Unfortunately, there is no practical way to measure the effect that ethics codes have on personnel, (6) even though codes "serve as a living document of organizational standards and provide direction in decisionmaking." (7) But without individual beliefs, values, and commitment, these codes are only words, ideas, goals, and philosophies--ideas that are easy to vocalize but hard to implement. However, "codes can play a useful role in reminding those tempted by misconduct of the shared goals of the profession." (8) Law enforcement administrators can use codes to clarify what is meant by ethical conduct. Then, by using these codes, they motivate employees to be "faithful" to themselves and their profession. Integrity The quality most admired at every level of an organization is integrity, followed closely by competence. These are essential characteristics of effective leadership that influence attitude, as well as behavior. Therefore, police managers must be firmly committed to personal integrity. At times, sticking to this commitment is difficult. However, doing so is likely to be more than its own reward. People will follow more readily one whose values are clear, consistent, principled, and fair. (9) Top administrators not only set the environment for the department through example but also through compliance. To be effective, they must be willing and able to discipline violators of ethical standards. Inaction by the administration constitutes approval of the individual's behavior, hurts employee morale, and weakens public confidence.(10) Education and Training Police leaders should also use education and training to set the proper ethics and value mode into perpetual motion. By defining jobs, telling people what is expected of them, and giving feedback, managers minimize uncertainties, avoid repeating traditional unethical practices, and ensure that assignments, evaluations, promotions, and hirings are meted out in a systematic fashion. If officers are given the proper education and training, they have received the tools to do their jobs. But, they need more than theory. They need up-to-date practical application, experience, and knowledge. With proper research and application, answers to the majority of unethical situations faced by police officers can be developed and incorporated into training programs. "In order to challenge the contemporary officer's thinking about moral values and ethical conduct, the police profession needs to incorporate law enforcement ethics directly into the training provided all personnel. Such instruction should begin during recruit training and continue through short-term seminars to management programs and courses." (11) As leaders provide position reinforcement for theory to become reality, ethics will be kept at the forefront of training and left open for discussion at all levels. When wrestling with real-world moral dilemmas, group discussions and the advice and counsel from others can heighten moral reasoning. (12) CONCLUSION Today, there is perhaps more sensitivity about ethics and personal conduct in the law enforcement field than ever before. The profession has matured, but much is left to be done. Law enforcement must be prepared to combat a new level of temptation, where the rewards for "selling out" can be great and general social codes have become more relaxed. Police leaders must develop an ethical environment that eliminates public suspicion and lessens employee temptation--one that creates faith and confidence in a justice system that is fair and just for all. More importantly, they must set the moral standards and tone of their individual departments, lead by example, and initiate and promote ethics training and education. Police leaders must challenge and develop law enforcement thinking in terms of moral values and ethical conduct by communicating and supporting realistic approaches to ethical dilemmas. As Patrick Murphy noted, "With strong leadership from top police executives and a firm commitment to making policing a full-fledged profession, we can go a long way toward providing police officers with the sensitivity and insight they need to meet the ethical demands of the important positions of public trust they hold." (13) Today, law enforcement does not need to find better values, but we do need to rededicate ourselves to leadership and ethics and the basic values of our profession. FOOTNOTES (1) Patrick V. Murphy, "Ethical Issues on Policing," Criminal Justice Ethics, vol. 4, No. 2, Summer/Fall 1985. (2) Interpersonal Communications Training Program, Lansing, Michigan, Community College, November 1975. (3) Bruce L. Benson and Gilbert H. Skinner, "Doughnut Shop Ethics: There are Answers," The Police Chief, December 1988, pp. 32-33. (4) James Bowman, ed., Essentials of Management: Ethical Values, Attitudes and Actions (Port Washington, N. Y.: Associated Faculty Press, 1983). (5) Supra note 1, p. 95. (6) Donald R. Cressey and Charles A. Moore, "Managerial Values and Corporate Codes of Ethics," California Management Review, vol. 25, No. 4, Summer 1983. (7) Harold W. Metz, "An Ethical Model For Law Enforcement Administrators," Justice Profession, vol. 1, No. 2, Fall 1986, p. 74. (8) William Heffernan, "Two Approaches to Police Ethics," Criminal Justice Review, p. 32. (9) Barry Posner and Warren Schmidt, "Values and the American Manager: An Update," California Management Review, vol. XXVI, No. 3, Spring 1984, p. 215. (10) Supra note 7, p. 75. (11) Supra note 7, p. 76. (12) Supra note 1, p. 95. (13) Ibid. p. 96.