Ethical Considerations Of A Police Officer

A police officer regardless of the crime that is being investigated or whoever we are dealing with has ethical considerations, that I believe are realistic and should be followed. A police officer must obey the law, act in a professional manner at all times and never use the authority we have to intimidate or demean others. (Hall, 2015). Regardless of the crime or person you are dealing with, everyone is expected to be treated fairly. A defendant has the same rights as a police officer. We are equal. The public sees police officers as police officers in and out of uniform. Therefore, you are expected to always have an answer and always considered as the professional. When carrying out an arrest we are obligated to still honor the defendants constitutional rights and the defendants well
Anytime a police officer is on scene we are the ones who keep the scene secure and are held liable to anything that happens to anyone. When carrying on with an investigation, for example a domestic dispute, it is the officers obligation to make sure all parties are safe and render any aid that is needed. In the state of Tennessee, if a primary aggressor can be determined then the law says we shall make an arrest. That is an obligation for the victim that we have to adhere to. Police officers cannot fabricate evidence in order to gain a conviction. We are held to very high standards regardless if we are on or off duty. These ethical considerations are still practiced to this today. Our shift was just briefed on how we are not to politic while in uniform. To me as a young patrolman it shows me that ethical considerations are realistic and still