The issue of defining professionalism is controversial and multifaceted, especially in the field of such a broad sphere of expertise as law enforcement. Mere adherence to the three basic requirements provided by Glenn et al. (2003) does not suffice the meaning of professionalism. Strict adherence to the professional ethics elevates policing above just an occupation that provides wages and attributes it with the values of a real profession. According to Thompson and Payne (2019), the police Code of Ethics is a core of the implementation of human rights into every sphere of policing. By introducing ethical behaviors, values, and standards of professional demeanor as the basic requirements of a professional in policing, one will be able to eliminate misconduct in the sphere and establish better outcomes for the communities (Westmarland & Rowe, 2018). However, is it better to integrate ethics into policing through culture reforming or education?
References
Glenn, R.W., Panitch, B.R., Barnes-Proby, D., Williams, E., Christian, J., Lewis, M.W., … Brannan, D. W. (2003). Training the 21st century police officer: Redefining police professionalism for the Los Angeles Police Department. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Public Safety and Justice.
Thompson, J., & Payne, B. (2019). Towards professionalism and police legitimacy? An examination of the education and training reforms of the police in the Republic of Ireland. Educational Sciences, 9(241), 1-23.
Westmarland, L., & Rowe, M. (2018). Police ethics and integrity: Can a new code overturn the blue code? Policing and Society, 28(7) pp. 854–870