Character and Cops Ethics in Policing 6th Edition: Book Report

Edwin J. Delattre wrote the sixth edition of Character and Cops Ethics in Policing, which was published in 2011. The book is about the police department and everything that goes with it. The first chapter of the book, titled "Introduction," is the subject of this review. The chapter's major focus is to quickly outline the book's aim and main components.

The police force is a vital agency that is important in every culture around the world. The cops are in charge of the protection of the locals. The writer argues that our literature shows us that the cops are sarcastic, estranged, disaffected, and unhappy, but it is not true in real life and society. According to writer’s experiences, cops and police of all ranks and departments are the most responsible, love their work and attach to their profession. Every civilization needs the police department, and it is based on the civilians who should be committed to their society and they should be polite. Every person or individual have weaknesses, and nobody is perfect in this world. Many people are good for the society, and many are badly contributing to it as every individual have own beliefs, values, morals and ethics which differ. So the police force is essential to make a society into civilization and its protection in every manner. They are needed in every society as some individuals of the society has to entrusted to guard the society and responsible for the local citizen’s safety, to apply the laws and rules, and to promote peace in the society.

Evaluation and Conclusion

The main theme of the chapter is to introduce the audience to the book and it's all contents. The author describes the need of police department and how these people secure any society. In his point of view, the dream of every society is to free from the dictatorship because people want to be free and want to have benefited from the security. So that’s why society needs rules and law enforcement. Every society wants the police department that the citizens can trust, respect and believe in them.

Chapter 2: Excellence of Character

This review is the second chapter of the book name “Excellence of Character.” The central theme of the chapter is to briefly describe the character and character development and excellence of the police department.

Summary

The major point of the chapter is to show that excellence and being a good person should not only the trait of a police officer, but it should be the trait of every human being in the society. The author believes that every person of the society has the competency to do the right thing, in the right way and at the right time. By birth sympathy and social awareness is the part of every person’s nature. In author’s point of view, humans are impulsive, and it is called first nature of individuals. When the individuals grow, they learn to show the habits of their conduct, and it’s called second nature.

Evaluation and Conclusion

According to the author, a bad person is the one who gains profit by victimizing other people and never care about right and wrong. Every person of the society should concern about the other people in the society as it is good for the betterment of the society. It is not just the duty of police department it is the moral duty of every person living in society.

Chapter 3: The Mission of Police

This review is the third chapter of the book name “The Mission of Police.” The main theme of the chapter is to explain the main purpose of the police department and their existence in the society.

Summary

The main mission of the police force in the United States of America is that to spread the “experiment in the ordered liberty.” It means that the power is not linked to one man or one official personality and it is equally distributed in all areas and parts of the government, like in the judicial, legislative, federal and executive branches of the government. The main mission of the police is to protect and balance this power as well as to maintain law and order and protect and secure the liberty of law.

Evaluation and Conclusion

In the United States, the power of the country is equally distributed all over the government parts and ensures the liberty and security of this power. The power should be balanced that no person or no agency can fully operate without any restraint.

Chapter 4: The Public Trust and Probity

This review is the fourth chapter of the book name “The Public Trust and Probity.” The main theme of the chapter is to discuss the public trust of society and serving their honor and respect.

Summary

The author argues that a public office is just like a public trust. The police force is acting as public servants in the society, and their motto should be to give priority to their duty above any own advantage for anyone related to them.

Evaluation and Conclusion

The police force should be happy to sacrifice their private connections such as friendship and loved ones for the sake of the Rights of the society.

Chapter 5 & 6: “Discretion” & “Public Corruption for Profit”

This review is about the five and sixth chapter of the book. The main theme of chapter five is about discretion which means that the law authorities decides which laws are important and should be enforced on the society. The main theme of chapter six is about the corruption and disloyalty to the state of public.

Summary

Chapter six is based on the differences between the corrupted and uncorrupted personalities. Which are equally contributes to the wellness and destruction of any society? Chapter five discusses the discretion of the authorities and officials which make decisions of policy and practice like the individual liberties require special duties.

Evaluation and Conclusion

The main conclusion of chapter five is to discuss the discretion and its importance in society. Some rules and regulations are important and should be enforced in the society by the law enforcement authorities. The main conclusion of chapter six is that the society should be responsible and uncorrupted which leads to the social justice and peace.

Chapter 7: Authority and Reform in Controlling Corruption

Introduction:

Corruption has grown its roots in every field and profession including police department as well. Luckily, this problem is not incurable. The biggest issue of corruption is that hides in the cloak of secrecy and keeps growing with exponential rate. Usually, the crime doers are holders of substantial posts and staff under them prefers perjury rather than confession.

Summary:

Corruption is a continuously growing problem which has some solutions, but all of them are very complicated and challenging. As it is said, ‘it is harder to reform a curriculum than to move a graveyard.' Administrators who are responsible for change must be efficient in politics and should not be concerned with position and power. According to a police chief, the bottom line of reform of police department is the control of personal matters. The role of police chief against the cancer of corruption is extremely significant.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

No matter what is the extent of citizen administration, the presence of police chief during implementation of anticorruption policy is essential. There are certain problems which occur during controlling the citizen review boards. There are plenty of responsibilities on the shoulders of a police chief like budget, misconduct, fraud, discipline and union compromise.

Chapter 8: Leadership and the Character of a Department

Introduction:

According to Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas believed that a rightful soul within a person cannot be degraded by the irrational differences of race, color and ethnicity. Both of them had the strong faith that it is much more wrong and bad to impose the evil than suffering it. It does not mean that a person should suffer the wrong doings; it just refers that a person must prefer pain and trials on the path of truth and righteousness than comfort on the path of wickedness.

Summary:

Not only in the police department but every profession and life process, a person should prefer good over bad or less bad than more bad. In the police department, usually, the officers are experienced by two kinds of situations as first who the do not want to be experienced severely impose bad experiences and trials on others (mostly on victims) while second are those who view suffering as wrong must be unsettled by abuse that is ignorable. The police force, especially, involves the greater amount of suffering and failure than any other field because, despite strict law enforcement and following of rules, there will always be individual or little value corruption, perpetrators, and wrong doings.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

The level of failures, trials and hardships is much high in policing but this department is morally and lawfully bound to keep its own track clean and must follow Fredrick Douglas concepts to gain success. Success can only be achieved if we understand and perceive its real and actual meaning. A law enforces must remain steady and sharp under pressure otherwise have greater chances to undergo burnout. Burnout is not a cause but it is representation of failure. Therefore, the hiring of law enforcement department must put extra care to select those individuals who have higher threshold for pressure and difficult conditions. Community Patrol Officers Program (CPOP) is an important step towards application and regulation of law and order. Rigorous training and high performance standards are essential steps to ensure the recruitment of worthy individuals.

Chapter 9: Illegal Narcotics—Moral Issues and Public Policy

Introduction:

This has to turn into global public issues that over the limit use of drugs by government officials is getting out of hands. It is crucial for police officers to educate the public on this matter as it is becoming necessarily important with the rapid increase in murders, thefts, and other crimes because of this issue. The issue of the legalization of narcotics by Congress is highly debatable. Both extremes of this issue are unmanageable. It sounds unusual at first, but police officers should use different platforms like media and newspapers to communicate themselves with the general public and aware them regarding this issue. This issue has already become morally relatable as well.

Summary:

It has become social, ethical and moral responsibility of police officers to educate and aware the general public about the important issue of narcotics trafficking. Everyone agrees that no amount of diligence or expenditure on the supply and demand sides of narcotics can eliminate drug use. The only solution of this problem is its control, not abolition. There are certain platforms and authorities that argue over the legalization of narcotics.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

The police department is actively taking notice and actions towards this serious and ghastly problem but there are multiple problems, complications, troubles and hurdles in their way. Wise among law enforcers have realized that they cannot possible eradicate this problem from its roots. All they can do is to minimize its severity in those ways that it do not tend to re-grow too fast.

Chapter 10 & 11: The Fundamentals of Character and Training

Deliberation and Moral Problems in Training

Introduction:

Chapter 10 refers to misleading views about ethics which must correct in the minds of police officers during their training sessions. Mostly people think ethics and morality as money and sex, and it happens on the general level now. Problems like these must be apprehended by taking the help from psychology and philosophy. Chapter 11 refers to those persons who are miserable and pathetic as they have no nerves and sense of determination to follow their dreams and remain nerveless preferably.

Summary:

Author said in Chapter 10, the misconceptions about ethics, morality and other concepts are important to confront. There are also various arguments regarding realism and idealism and their mutual difference. Other misleading views include the concepts of morality and happiness which leads to moral problems and bad habits. In Chapter 11, the deliberated and moral problems are discussed which are encountered by police officers during their training.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

To correct these misconceptions about important facts like ethics and morality, one must gain expertise of goodness and purity in the character. A person should be good and pure in character personally as well as publically. Things that are thought during training must be remembered by officers during field as well.

Chapter 12 & 13: Tragedy and “Noble Cause” Corruption

Death and Bereavement, Deadly Force and Guilt

Introduction:

Chapter 12 refers to the individual importance of every being that walks on this earth. It says that we must not use anyone as mere means as no one perceive themselves and mere means only. In chapter 13, author says that life of every person is equally worthy and precious but value of life of a police officer is often underestimated. Moreover, the life of a police officer is more uncertain and vague as compared to others all of the time.

Summary:

Chapter 12 explains the importance and significance of every individual in a profession. Police department is associated with use of power in the society and they have a huge responsibility regarding using it correctly. Chapter 13 explains that the death of a beloved one died in the line of their duty is more painful and difficult to bear than any other young who died before living the life.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

Responsibilities tend to increase with the increase in authority. Some actions, if not carried out correctly, proves to morally suicidal and desperate. Right use of power is extremely important in profession of policing. In chapter 13, the significance of memories and acceptance of reality is described as life can never be started from the scratch by completely erasing every smidgen of the past from mind because it is impossible.

Chapter 14 & 15: Taking Our Lives Seriously

Fatalism, Microcosms, and Therapeutic Reductions

Introduction:

Chapter 14 highlights the important of genuine professionalism. Its importance does not fade away or alter with time and technology changes. In chapter 15, according to Immanuel Kant, humility and noble pride are basic elements of self-respect while their absence leads to lack of remorse.

Summary:

Police as the ultimate security force for the general public of the society and they can gain the trust even after events of mismanagement. To sum up, a police officer must “go the extra mile”. Police officers are expected and intended to live their lives with increased morality and principles as compared to the general public because of their nature of duties.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

It is one of the obligations of a law enforcer to take his and society’s lives seriously. Morality is the proper calling and essentiality of humans and it matters a lot in the decision how we want to live our lives. Police department and its officers must be treated with their deserving values and behavior as they are expected to do so much as part of their duty.

Chapter 16 & 17: Ethical Ideals, Youth Violence and Gang Enforcement

Police, the O. J. Simpson Trial, and Race

Introduction:

Chapter 16 explains the swiftly increasing problems of youth violence among all age groups in schools and colleges alongwith severe issue of gang enforcement. Chapter 17 describes the heart-aching and severely painful story of child abuse of a little 6 year old Elisa who died because of continuous deadly abuse by none other than her own maniac mother.

Summary:

Violence has shown marked increased even in elementary, junior and senior high school grades in the US. The need of ethically ideal institutions is increasing exponentially. In chapter 17, author rise the issue of judgment on superficial basis of color and race and described multiple real stories to prove the point.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

With huge increase in problem like youth violence and gang enforcement, work and responsibility of police has been increased as well. Author describes that with the passage of time public expectations towards police will elevate to solve the issues and that is intactness of police character is extremely important. The future of the US is based on the question that can we able to judge and act beyond the superficial and hollow difference of race and color.

Chapter 18 & 19: The Spirit of Public Service and Individual Conscience

Ethics in the Future of Policing

Introduction:

Author explains in chapter 18 that one of the desirable traits among police officers is “a spirit of service”. As the name depicts, chapter 19 refers to importance and significance of ethics and morality to be present in police officers as a necessary trait.

Summary:

A police officer, regardless of level and post, must have the trait of spirit of service. Only with this spirit, he might be able to perform his duties and complete his expectations while being honest and sincere. Ethics, morality, rules, narcissism and social conditions are all important to be considered for the safe and sound future of policing in the US.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

To become sincerely professional and responsible, a police officer must possess the spirit of service and respect for public order and civility. Those cops who take the challenge of complications and trails coming in their by adapting the characteristics of ethics, morality and rules tend, to become fruitful and bright in their future.

Chapter 20, 21 & 22: Terrorism and Policing

Ethics in Action: Case Studies of Professional Excellence in Policing

From War Veterans to Peace Officers

Introduction:

Chapter 20 highlights the tragic and painful events in September 2001 when militant fundamentalist terrorists hijacked four aircrafts and all of them ended with severe consequences. Chapter 21 throws light on the will power and abilities of police officers as compared to overall society as how they manager to put their ethics and rule in action. The long story of journey of war veterans to peace officers of today has long put short by the author in chapter 22. He briefly explains the journey with all its glooms and glory.

Summary:

Terrorism offers severe and tough challenges to the police department by directly challenging their every possessing abilities and openly working against the survival and social well being of the world. Author has presented several excellently executed case studies by police officers who managed to put their ethics in actions regardless of trials and complications. In chapter 22, as author explained, Institutions rise and fall with their standards of personnel recruitment, work performance and fitness for duty during early training and experimental periods and thereafter.

Evaluation and Conclusion:

The world does not stop after the terrible acts of terrorism, but it is changed in a way that is undesirable. The police play a great role as the basic force of resistance against terrorism that has allowed the US to live freely since 2001 for the major of time. In the end, the thing that is must be remembered by every police officer in the line of duty as well as in the personal life is that they should not judge or treat anyone based on racial, ethnic or color differences.

Works Cited

Delattre, Edwin J. Character And Cops. 1st ed., Washington, D.C., AEI Press, 2011,.