Police Ethics

            In the issue regarding crime, police officers face a major challenge when it comes to detecting crimes and stopping criminals before they engage in their criminal activities. While catching a known criminal is seen as an achievement, preventing crimes before they happen is an even greater achievement because it ensures that people and the community at large do not suffer from the negative effects that would have occur had the crime taken place. Because of this, law enforcement officers employ different tactics and policies that assist them in their operations and try to apprehend criminals before they engage in their intended criminal activities. An example is the practices and policies used by the Georgian highway patrol to control drug trafficking along the highway dubbed the ‘drug pipeline’.

            George, a respectable member of the community has his own rights and freedoms (Dimitrakopoulos, 2007). It is these rights and freedom that allow him to dress however he wants and drive the kind of vehicle he desires. However, despite his rights and freedoms, the law enforcement officers have a duty to stop drug traffickers and employ all means to ensure that those using the drug pipeline highway are apprehended. The repetitive stops are therefore reasonable provided they are conducted in a manner that does not lead to the infringement of George’s rights and freedom. Whether repetitive or not, the highway patrol officers have a duty to perform. Since George fits this description and profile, the police officers are therefore required to follow the policies and regulations that they have been given when dealing with such people.

            The reasoning behind these stops is that drug traffickers use the described profile as a way of blending in and to avoid attracting attention. The profile helps the highway patrol officers to select which type of cars to stop since it would be irrelevant to stop and search every car that uses that route. Since George uses the route and fits the description of drug traffickers, he is bound to be stopped and searched for drug possession. Officers who may fail to stop George could be considered as having neglected their duties because they are required to stop him as indicated in the policies and procedures (Barker, 2011).

            If I was a recruit and the field training officer asked me to skip George, I would be surprised and less inclined to follow his order because George fits the description of people that are to be stopped and searched. However, the search should be conducted in a way that does not infringe George’s rights. Because of this, the officer who took apart George’s car and left him stranded is not a good example of a leader. Since George willingly allowed the officer to search his car, he should have helped to put the car back up after the search. Leaving him stranded was an infringement to George’s rights especially because he was searched only because he fit a set profile (Hubbart, 2015).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Barker, T. (2011). Police ethics: Crisis in law enforcement. Springfield, Ill: Chares C. Thomas.

Dimitrakopoulos, D. G. (2007). Individual rights and liberties under the U.S. Constitution: The   case law of the U.S. Supreme Court. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff

Hubbart, P. A. (2015). “Making sense of search and seizure law: A Fourth Amendment    handbook” Carolina Academic Press