In my life as a police officer I have encountered many situations. Being a law enforcement agent involves coping with different types of personalities and temperaments. All the while the police officer has to maintain his cool and carry out his duties in a professional manner. Police officers however, are normal human beings. They are susceptible to error and will sink into evil when pressure is piled on them. This essay will examine a dilemma that I faced as a police officer, how I coped with it, and the outcome of the situation.

According to Aristotle, the law must be preserved and that it ultimately will lead us to a good life, and that good life is based on ethical behavior. Aristotle wrote the following: This passage contains important messages for law enforcement officers. It serves to urge moderate behavior. Moderation directly confronts overzealous behavior, which has the potential to harm citizens. The greatest crimes stem from excess, not necessity. And excess, which is clearly a selfish act, breaks the spirit of the Law enforcement community (Barnes, J. (Ed.) 1984). Police officers experience positive feelings when they solve a crime, but the betrayal of one’s ethics to solve a criminal investigation is inexcusable.

According to Palmiotto, 1988, ethics play an important role and have to be upheld in the police profession. Having been faced by the two conflicting choices, I decided to remind myself of the code of ethics that I swore to abide by as an officer of the law. This included integrity, selflessness and service to the public. It involved going beyond personal morality to help establish public trust and accountability. I thus decided that my own woes should be insignificant compared to what I should dutifully perform. I thus decided to try all the legal methods to try and extract information from the suspect. I decided to organize a deal whereby he would get protection and a shorter jail term if he cooperated. After much convincing, the suspect decided to give us a lead on the syndicate’s operations

The uncovering of the theft syndicate led to a reduction in crime by half. This was possible because the collapse of the gang led to discovery of other organized gangs in the city. It also led to the identification of rogue police officers which led to their expulsion from the force and subsequent arrest. Therefore the whole encounter led to an exercise of purging the city of crime, making it a safer place (Palmiotto, 1988). Even though trust in police officers was eroded initially on discovery of rogue officers, the trust was regained following the job the police did of ridding the streets of crime.

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