Undeniably, it is the duty of police officers to do good for society, yet their means are not always held up to these ideals. Noble-cause corruption is a situation where a police officer decides to break the law in order to achieve what they perceive as the greater good (Caldero et al., 2018). The opinions on the topic are divided, as some may perceive such an act as beneficial to society, while others consider it as disrespectful towards the law. Arguably, police officers are trained to hold moral values to the highest degree, making their decisions in line with generally acceptable choices (Caldero et al., 2018). However, noble-cause corruption is a sure way to defile modern democratic values. Such an incident implies that an individual decided to take justice into their own hands without adhering to publicly accepted processes (Caldero et al., 2018). Nonetheless, this topic cannot be ignored, as noble-cause corruption is impossible to prevent entirely.
Many police departments recognize and prepare their officers for making tough decisions that may result in unsatisfactory outcomes. Merely relying on strict chain-of-command controls and punitive actions against officers who broke the law in order to achieve the greater good is not an efficient strategy (Caldero et al., 2018). Trainees are taught how to deal with noble-cause corruption, why it is detrimental to police forces, and how to resolve situations in which this tactic may seem to be applicable (Caldero et al., 2018). Promoting moral decision-making and linking actions with the core values of law enforcement appears to be the most efficient strategy to oppose wrongdoing by the officers who may consider utilizing illegal means. In conclusion, it is difficult to restrict noble-cause corruption, and the only way to affect its outcomes is to promote the right values among police officers.
Reference
Caldero, M. A., Dailey, J. D., & Withrow, B. L. (2018). Police ethics: The corruption of noble cause (4th ed.). Routledge.