Mission statements are fundamental in communicating the core values that drive an organization. Police departments are some examples of organizations that are driven by mission statements. Some of these mission statements are accorded with ethical values that the department uses to communicate to the public values and standards that the department upholds. Further, they portray some level of professionalism that guides the services and practices of these departments. Some examples of these police departments include the Parker Police Department, the Longport Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department.
A law enforcement code of ethics drives the Parker Police Department’s mission statement. This department’s code of ethics is mainly imposed to ensure the safety of the state they serve and protect. Police officers are given the duty to serve humanity by offering protection against oppressors, intimidators, and violence (“Mission & Values | Parker Police – Official Website”). To do this, the officers must follow these codes of conduct that mandate they keep their private lives clean to serve as a good example. They are required to respect and follow constitutional rights. They are never needed to allow their personal feelings and afflictions to influence their judgment but to act in accordance with the law in administering justice to the community.
The Longport Police Department imposed ethical standards into its mission statement to maintain the public’s confidence. The mission statement of this department expresses that for the department to provide safety for people and property, they are required to maintain the highest ethical standards. To maintain these ethics, police officers are required to serve with honor and integrity to improve the community’s quality of life (“Mission, Vision, Motto, & Core Values | Longport Police Department”). By doing so, the department will gain the public’s trust for its service of enhancing safety and reducing the crime rate within the community. Also, these ethics will offer some professionalism with the department’s services. The ethics in the mission statements will show professionalism in how the department handles its matters.
The Baltimore Police Department website mentions that its mission uses ethics to uphold constitutional rights. Their ethical standards stem from fairness and impartiality when administering laws to the public (“About the Department | Baltimore Police Department”). This is by maintaining accountability and transparency in their services. Moreover, they are dedicated to maintaining honesty and legitimacy across the communities. These ethics would guide in providing safety to the communities and valuing human life. This mission statement acknowledges that the department’s ethics will help guide the department’s services in providing trustworthy services to the public.
The mission statements of these three police departments included ethics for different ideal reasons. The Parker Police Department’s main purpose was to provide an excellent moral example to the public who would be compelled to act with respect to the law. The Longport Police Department’s reason was to be guided with integrity and accountability in their work. This would, as a result, gain the public’s confidence in the services offered by the department. Finally, the Baltimore Police Department’s reason was driven by maintaining the integrity of the services they delivered. Since these are law enforcement leaders, they should create a culture of ethics within the departments. Ethics would be a constant reminder for the department on the significance of human life and why honesty is integral.
Works Cited
“About the Department | Baltimore Police Department.” Baltimorepolice, 2022, Web.
“Mission & Values | Parker Police – Official Website”. Parkerpd, 2022, Web.
“Mission, Vision, Motto, & Core Values | Longport Police Department.”Longportpd, 2022, Web.