Transcript Ethics, Integrity, & Professionalism

Ethics and
Integrity
Dr. Laura B. Myers
Developer and Facilitator
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
1
5 Goals for Exploring
Ethics
 Become
more aware and open to
moral and ethical issues.
 Begin developing critical thinking
and analytical skills.
 Become more personally
responsible.
2
5 Goals for Exploring
Ethics
 Understand
how criminal justice is
engaged in a process of coercion.
 Develop wholesight.
3
3 Contexts for Understanding
Justice, Crime and Ethics
 Personal
 Social
 Criminal
Justice
4
What Is Ethics?
 Knowing
the difference
between right and wrong
 Deciding to do the right
thing under pressure
 Assume people are trying
to do their best
 Ethical issues are not
clear-cut
5
The Slippery Slope
 Contingencies
 Moral
Experiences
 Apologia
 Stages
6
The Resolution...
 Training
 Modeling
 Reinforcement
 Use
of reality
7
Becoming a Police
Officer
 Choice
to become
a police officer.
 Introduction to
policing.
 Encountering the
reality.
 The
metamorphosis.
8
The Reality of Law
Enforcement
 Discretion
 Low-visibility
discretionary
decision making
 Numerous laws,
rules, and policies
 Threats to safety
 Authority
9
An Ethical Crisis
 Misuse
of funds
 Abuses of authority
 Winning at all costs
 Using people as a means to an end
 Making ourselves an exception
 Not recognizing an ethical trap
10
More Examples
 Political
leaders
 Lawyers
 Law
enforcement
officers
 Clergy
 Medical doctors
 Others?
11
The Integrity Image
 Role
models?
 Commitment
 Trust
 Karma
 Do these things exist in law
enforcement?
12
Workplace Impact
 Decrease
in morale
 Breakdown in chain of
command
 Burn-out
 Grievances & lawsuits
 Loss of productivity
 Damage to image &
reputation
13
Perceptions
 The
role of law
enforcement.
 Crime control
 Due process
 Public opinion
14
Individual Impact
 Not
efficient
 An organizational liability
 Not a team player
 Damage to career
 Damage to future
 Unfit role model
15
The Institutions that
Teach Values & Morals
 Family
 School
 Church
 Media
 Do
people recognize these
influences on their choices?
16
An Ethical Population?
 Cheating
in school
 Cheating in sports
 Cheating in business
17
Ethical Conflict
Resolution?
 The
Golden Rule
 Recognizing differences
 Recognizing human feelings
 Recognizing the sanctity of human
life
18
Can We Improve?
 Is
it possible to teach people values
and morals?
 What if they already know what is
right and wrong?
 Need to teach people how to
recognize the trap of an ethical
dilemma
19
Tools
People Can Use
20
Remembering
Character
 What
is character?
 How can it be used in law
enforcement?
 Being conscious of character
21
The Six Pillars of
Character
22
[1] Trustworthiness
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Promise
keeping
 Loyalty
23
[2] Respect
24
[3] Responsibility
 Accountability
 Pursuit
of excellence
 Self-restraint
25
[4] Justice and Fairness
26
[5] Caring
27
[6] Civic Virtue and
Citizenship
28
Moral Development
 Premoral
Level
 Conventional Level
 Post-Conventional Level
29
Character and
Decision-making
 The
greatest good
 Duty
 Karma
 Caring
 Being mindful
 That inner voice
 An Ethics Check
30
An Ethics Check
 Is
it legal?
 Is it balanced?
 How will it make me feel about
myself?
31
Inner Strength
 Living
by principles
 Acting consistently
 Striving to be fair
32
33
The Five Principles
 Purpose
 Pride
 Patience
 Persistence
 Perspective
34
Principles of a Morally
Good Person
 Just
 Truthful
 Trustworthy
 Moral
courage
 Moral autonomy
 Benevolence
35
In the Workplace
 Application
of law
 Use of authority
 Due Process
 Meeting your goals…
 Humans have intrinsic value
36
Pressures in the
Workplace
 Productivity
 Solving
a bad problem
during a crisis
 Doing your job
37
Inner Strength
 Practice
 Seek
advice
 Realize this will not be easy
 Don’t take yourself for granted
38
Outer Strength
 An
organizational value
 Walk the walk, talk the talk
 Training
 Modeling
 Discussion
 Nip it in the bud
39
The Reality of Law
Enforcement Ethics
40
THE END
Dr. Laura B. Myers
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas 77341
(409) 294-1654
41