Blue Wall of Silence in Police Subculture Essay

Introduction: Police Subculture and Ethical Concerns

Although the area of law enforcement is typically associated with the ideas and essential concepts of morality and ethics, the current environment thereof leaves much to be desired as far as its moral foundation is concerned. Studies show that the present-day realm of law enforcement is infested with the ideas of nihilistic skepticism, which implies that the reasons for an objective judgment should be denied (Reisig & Kane, 2013). Therefore, there is a pressing need to analyze the target environment and reform it so that the essential decisions should be ethical, as well as aimed primarily at facilitating the wellbeing of all parties involved.

Exercising Authority on Vulnerable Population: A Delicate Choice

The issue of power abuse remains among the most common concerns in contemporary law enforcement practice. Enabled to make the choices that a range of people depend on, and that can be used in favor of the police, LA officers often face the temptation to abuse their authority and profit from other people’s lack of experience and information. However, even when taking actions that can be interpreted as fully legitimate from the perspective of the current law enforcement principles, LA representatives may harm vulnerable populations. As a result, police officials face a complex dilemma concerning the choice between acting as required by the police guidelines and meeting the actual needs of the target population.

It would be wrong to claim that the problem is not addressed by the LA officials. On the contrary, programs have been developed to manage the issues related to the vulnerable population members and the dilemmas that police representatives face when dealing with the identified social stratum. For example, extensive programs aimed at vulnerable sector checks have been designed to create a safer environment for the people that face economic, social, or any other concerns which make them vulnerable to the actions taken by the police. Nevertheless, the problem remains topical, and it is necessary to resolve the issue so that the members of the LA department could accomplish their tasks and, at the same time, make sure that the representatives of the vulnerable population should not be affected.

Lies in Reports, During Investigations, etc.: Ends and Means

The notorious Blue Wall of Silence (Johnson, 2013) illustrates the range of reasons for the members of the Law Enforcement Department to resort to lies and deceit in their reports, as well as in an array of other activities, such as retrieving information from witnesses, communicating with suspects, etc. The current police subculture not only fails to prevent the identified situations from occurring but also reinforces them by building a wall between the law enforcement members and the rest of the population. As a result, resorting to lies is not viewed as unethical.

Acceptance of Gratuities and the Subsequent Patronizing

The concept of a gratuity is rather simple, yet it entails an array of complexities in the work of a police officer. By definition, a gratuity is a gift that one is offered based solely on the job that they have and the services that they can provide (Pearce, Hynes, & Bovarnick, 2013). Although the phenomenon of gratuity might seem innocent enough, it serves as the premise for further corruption. The cumulative effects of regular gifts and other forms of gratuity may become the building blocks for more serious deviations from the existing ethical principles with which the members of the police must comply.

Furthermore, the acceptance of gratuities may finally lead to patronizing the institutions that offer gifts and rewards for the services. The phenomenon mentioned above, in its turn, can be viewed as a much more serious breach of police ethics. Refusing from the gift, on the other hand, will inevitably cause the giver to feel rejected, the negative emotions leading to a more complex conflict. Therefore, there is an obvious dent in the LA ethics that needs to be addressed.

Keeping the Confidentiality of the People Involved: The Ones to Protect

Eventually, the dilemma of confidentiality must be analyzed. Although the members of the police department are typically expected to refrain from disclosing people’s personal information, as well as their evidence, to the third party, the principles of non-disclosure may not apply to the underage population. In other words, a law enforcement officer is obliged to disclose the corresponding information to the parents or the legal guardians. Depending on the circumstances, the consequences of the scenario described above may be dire for the underage person in question.

The issue of confidentiality and the necessity to break it may apply to other scenarios, such as the need to locate the whereabouts of the suspect, save the hostage, etc. In any of the situations, as the one mentioned previously, a law officer faces a complex choice between maintaining the confidentiality and following the essential principles of Utilitarianism, i.e., preventing any possible harm.

Conclusion: Ethics as a Construct of the Police Subculture

Following ethical guidelines is part and parcel of a police officer’s job. However, the choice between complying with ethical standards and the principles of the local subculture may become far too difficult. Therefore, it is required to carry out a massive analysis of the challenging situations which the members of the police are forced to encounter.

References

Johnson, O. (2013). Blue wall of silence: Perceptions of the influence of training on law enforcement suicide. New York, NY: Lulu.com

Pearce, J. J., Hynes, P., & Bovarnick, S. (2013). Trafficked young people: Breaking the wall of silence. New York, NY: Routledge.

Reisig, M. D., & Kane, R. J. (2013). The Oxford handbook of police and policing. Oxford, UK: OUP.