Summary
Due to massive representation in mass media, the FBI remains one of the few government organizations that rarely needs an introduction. Located in Washington, DC, FBI, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, provides domestic security services and performs intelligence operations in the U.S. setting. The FBI strives to enforce criminal legislation in the U.S. and offer leadership in the context of the state criminal justice. In addition, protection against terrorism is one of the top priorities of the FBI. The organization has also been safeguarding the state and its citizens from foreign intelligence. Moreover, with the rise in the intensity of cybercrime, the FBI has been focusing on addressing the issue of cybersecurity in the American community as well (The Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.). Protecting citizens from terrorism and cybercrimes remains the FBI’s top priority at present.
Therefore, the FBI represents an important force in the U.S. legal system. The organization’s main mission is to ensure the security and safety of citizens, whereas its vision encompasses the world without terrorism and the related threats to people’s well-being. Therefore, the goals that the FBI pursues are quite noble and, overall, people-oriented. Nonetheless, while the normative ethics within the FBI could be considered as passable, the applied ethics may fail to meet expectations accordingly due to the emphasis on accomplishing a particular operation rather than avoiding harming parties involved at all costs.
Importance of Ethics
Ethics plays a vital role in the development of workplace relationships and managing one’s roles and responsibilities in the FBI. Representing law enforcement, one is provided with a substantial amount of power over others, which can easily be used for one’s personal gain or ill will. Therefore, to ensure that others remain safe and that one does not overstep one’s authority, ethical standards are crucial in the FBI. For instance, during arrests, FBI members must be wary of the necessity to comply with the rights of the apprehended person. Apart from being a crucial requirement for working at the FBI, compliance with ethical standards will also help an FBI officer and, eventually, the organization itself to gain the trust of citizens (Karolak, 2018). Therefore, one should reinforce compliance with ethical standards in the FBI workplace context.
Additionally, inclusion of ethical standards into the working practices of FBI agents will allow avoiding the instances in which the needs of citizens are overlooked. In turn, the inclusion of ethical standards into the standards for FBI members’ performance will help to prioritize compliance with the standards delineating the rights and freedoms of U.S. citizens. As a result, the situations in which people are hurt will be avoided. Apart from having a direct implication on how the FBI staff and the organization itself are perceived, it will help to ensure that the agency focuses on the needs of people.
Conclusion
Finally, the general perception of the organization and the extent of trust toward it are defined extensively by its ability to meet basic ethical standards. Without adherence to ethical principles, such as loyalty, beneficence, non-maleficence, and other crucial principles, the FBI will be able to create a path to collaboration with citizens. In turn, the focus on collaboration will allow the agency to implement its goals more effectively by obtaining crucial information and keeping the key parties safe. Overall, ethics plays a tremendous role in the FBI’s performance.
Reference List
Karolak, H. (2018). A narrative of uncertain intent: Communication ethics literacy and FBI counterterrorism practices. Web.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Mission & priorities. Web.