Police Ethics: The Denardo and Jones Case Analysis

Any company that operates may occasionally encounter moral problems, especially when making crucial decisions. The management of a unit must address all ethical issues that might affect its employees for it to continue operating with only minor barriers. Most of these issues typically arise on the job, whether in an office setting or another location. A thorough investigation and coordinated approach must address these challenges and ensure that neither the workforce nor the organization is impacted. In the course of performing their duties in the covert team, Tony Denardo and Johnny Jones encountered a variety of moral conundrums. Most of the time, these issues needed to be handled properly. Both officers had a negative reputation with the management and their peers. This essay explores the different moral conundrums that Tony and Johnny encountered. The paper also recommends how the unit’s new supervisor can stop similar incidents from happening again.

Johnny Jones is perceived as making choices that would cast doubt on the police, but in reality, his choices frequently resulted in the effective acquisition of evidence against drug traffickers. The general moral concern in this situation is whether to act morally in the police force and risk losing evidence or to act unethically to obtain proof. According to Banks (2020), a more compassionate criminal justice system would result from incorporating the ethic of compassion. The police frequently face difficult choices, and if they have the will to do so and act quickly, their efforts may be successful.

However, according to the social context of ethics, one should not just be concerned with criminals after they have broken the law but also with the circumstances and settings that motivate them to do so (Braswell et al., 2017). Following the police code of conduct, the officers must devise a suitable method for catching criminals and gathering evidence for use in court. Except in highly trivial situations, it is impossible to simultaneously maximize accuracy and fairness and satisfy all types of righteousness (Berk et al., 2018). Seduction and entrapment, deception, and problems with selective enforcement, privacy, and discretion are a few of the moral dilemmas that the police must navigate. Specific actions must be taken to recognize and resolve ethical problems. First, it is critical to comprehend the concerns the circumstance raises. Second, it is vital to pinpoint the moral rule that is being broken on the occasion. The third phase is finding the actions that must be taken to remedy the situation.

The police should also note what they might have done differently to prevent the situation. Numerous studies of police conduct and attitudes have demonstrated that officers frequently stray from the law, sometimes on purpose, although few of these incidents are publicly acknowledged (Westmarland & Conway, 2020). Police officers must carry out their responsibility impartially and without malice. Although some crimes seem more likely to be reported than others, police culture is an important issue that has to be addressed on a larger scale (Westmarland & Rowe, 2018). When serving, they should not make distinctions based on a person’s status, sex, religion, political orientation, or aspirations. The police ought to treat everyone fairly, with respect and decency.

An institution’s administration is tasked with keeping an eye on and handling any ethical conflicts staff members may encounter while working there. Employees are said to be in ethical difficulties when they must choose between two equally unappealing options that can involve a clash of moral beliefs. It always needs to be evident which option is the best one. Johnny is thrilled to be transferred to the Undercover Unit. On his first day of work, Johnny meets the rest of the team and is assigned a team member to help him get acquainted with his new position. On the team’s first day, the sergeant in command requests Tony not to cause Johnny any trouble. Tony is a team member that frequently gets himself into trouble, as evidenced by this command. Tony and Johnny encounter moral conundrums while working that put their employees, coworkers, and management interactions in danger.

Everyone has their ethical sense, allowing them to take the appropriate action to solve an ethical problem. However, the decision is occasionally influenced by other factors as well. The first moral conundrum in this situation is that Tony and Johnny do not work well as a team. To join the effort and leverage their working connection for the business’s benefit, management expects employees to be team players. Since the personnel does not collaborate, a company can only accomplish its goals with solid working relationships. Tony thinks that because he is not a team player, Johnny was placed with him so that he could learn how to operate in teams. The man is not thrilled about this situation because it forces him to violate a command or give up on his convictions.

Speaking negatively about a company or coworkers is another ethical dilemma the case raises. Such conduct is unethical and may seriously harm a unit’s overall effectiveness. Tony feels his bosses are not supporting him enough, so he wants more help. He criticizes the Lieutenant in charge of the interdiction squad once more. Finally, the man complains that they are meant to keep together, whatever the circumstances. Tony is dissatisfied because everyone else must support them, even if one person transgresses. Misuse of finances is another ethical problem discussed in the case study.

Tony and Johnny both make excessive use of the resources available to the company. Tony used emergency funds to pay for drinks, pool and smokes while meeting an informant. Since none of these costs were necessary, they should have been avoided. Johnny also consents to sign a receipt as proof that Tony paid the informant money in exchange for her assistance in the drug trade. Another ethical conundrum that many organizations encounter is the conduct of personal affairs while the group is in session. Employees who use this time to address individual concerns are acting unethically and mistreating their employers. Employees should use caution not to act insubordinately in any situation. After a few weeks in the unit, some insubordination is found in Johnny’s record. He occasionally arrives at work late, uses poor language, and periodically submits reports after their due date. All these situations are examples of insubordination.

In conclusion, management needs to take effective action to stop them from ensuring that workers perform at the highest level possible. Employees should make an effort to solely use resources provided by a company to improve their performance on the job. Anything more is viewed as an unnecessary waste of resources. Solving the problem is a difficult challenge for a new supervisor at a company with such ethical issues, especially given that every supervisor aspires to demonstrate increased performance. By being more ethically aware, each employee can help avoid such problems in the future.

References

Banks, C. (2020). Criminal justice ethics: Theory and practice (5th Ed.). Sage Publications.

Berk, R., Heidari, H., Jabbari, S., Kearns, M., & Roth, A. (2018). Fairness in Criminal Justice Risk Assessments: The State of the Art. Sociological Methods & Research, 50 (1). Web.

Braswell, M. C., McCarthy, B. R., & McCarthy, B. J. (2017). Justice, Crime, and Ethics (9th Ed.). Taylor & Francis.

Westmarland, L., & Conway, S. (2020). Police ethics and integrity: Keeping the blue code of silence. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 22(4). Web.

Westmarland, L., & Rowe, M. (2018). Police ethics and integrity: can a new code overturn the blue code? Policing and Society, 28(7), 854-870. Web.