Law enforcement agencies operate according to established police practices and ethical guidelines consistent with community standards in order to maintain public trust while performing their responsibilities.
[1] Police ethics and integrity are essential aspects of the law enforcement system that facilitate effective crime control practices.
Holding a position of authority while also having the means to use force legitimately requires police professionals to adhere to the strictest ethical standards to avoid controversial or corrupt abuses of power.
[2] Policing the community often brings ethical situations into consideration that may be, but is not limited to, one of the following circumstances: criminal investigations, procedural justice, racial profiling, early intervention systems, internal affairs, citizen complaints, mediation, recruitment, and use of force.
[3] Societal values are things that are comprehensively held by a broader number of people, like a community, that align closely to the society's culture and beliefs.
[3] Ethics can be defined as a system of moral values that distinguish rules for behavior based on an individual's or groups' ideas of what is good and bad.
[4] Police ethics are the rules for behavior that guide law enforcement officials based on what society deems as right and wrong.
[9] The Code of Ethics was developed and written by Captain Gene Muehleisen of San Diego PD as chairman of the Professional Committee of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC).
The failure by police professionals to act ethically could result in the loss of public trust, jeopardize investigations, or expose agencies or departments to liability issues.