Sexual Misconduct of Police Term Paper

The ethical problem that was observed and discussed during this week is associated with the sexual misconduct of police officers. One of male police officers was witnessed to have the sexual relations with a victim of the crime that was investigated by this police officer. It is important to discuss this ethical issue in detail with the focus on decisions made in the case.

Overview of the Situation

While investigating the case of stealing a car, colleagues of the (John) noticed that he was involved in the intimate relations with the woman whose car was stolen. The police officers reported about the situation to the supervisors, and John was reprimanded. Additionally, he was discharged from working at the case. As a result, John reported about the similar misconduct in relation to his colleagues, but he noted that those officers who reported on his case were involved in the sexual harassment related to their female colleagues. Supervisors reacted to the report and started the internal ethical investigation to determine whether the sexual harassment was observed.

Identification of Ethical Issues

The first issue to pay attention to is the sexual misconduct involving the police officer and the crime victim. Such behavior is prohibited by ethical rules related to the work of police officers. The other ethical issue that can appear after the investigation is the possible defamation associated with the words said by John regarding the actions of his colleagues (Crowder & Turvey, 2013). On the contrary, if Johns words about the sexual harassment in relation to female police officers are true, it is possible to speak about one more ethical issue associated with another form of the police officers sexual misconduct.

Choices Made by the Case Participants and Their Reasoning

In response to the disclosure of her sexual relations with a police officer, the victim of the crime chose not to comment on her or Johns actions. It is possible to assume that the woman did not realize the unethical character of her behavior, and she developed a feeling of attachment to John. In his turn, John did not accept the fact of unethical behavior, and possibly, chose to act unethically in relation to his colleagues. The decision to report on Johns behavior can be discussed as ethical because if the colleagues know about the misconduct, they cannot hide this information. Such kind of information is rather difficult to be assessed as related to the sexual misconduct, but such behavior is unethical because the police officer used his position of authority. However, if the other police officers were also involved in sexual harassment and John knew that their actions can be discussed as attempts to draw more attention to the case of John. It is important to note that supervisors and the other to the issues and initiated investigations to resolve the discussed ethical issues immediately.

The Effects of Ethical Choices

The choices made by them in terms of their reputation and professional growth. Two internal investigations were initiated to determine whether the sexual misconduct was observed in relation to the victim of the crime and female police officers. The situation and decisions made at the current stage can also affect the functioning of the department in which these as it is necessary to conduct the additional ethical training regarding the inappropriateness of sexual behaviors for police officers on duty. More investigations can be initiated in the department to examine whether the other evidence of sexual contacts, harassments, and assaults is typical of the department. The quick reaction of the police officers supervisors to the problem can be discussed as a positive tendency that can have good effects on the community as it will be possible to predict the further cases when to their authority and initiate the intimate relationships with vulnerable women (Pollock, 2013). This aspect will also have a positive effect on the society, but to prevent such cases in the future, it is possible to develop other responses to the ethical problem like a complete discharge from the work for police officers demonstrating the sexual misconduct (Banks, 2012).

Personal Choices

Being involved in the similar situation as a colleague who learned about the ethical misconduct, I would choose to report it to the supervisor. In this case, I need to be sure that there are sexual relations with the crime victim, and I should have the evidence or knew other witnesses to support my words. However, the problem is in the fact that my actions can provoke the reaction similar to Johns one. Therefore, it is possible to focus on the procedures protecting my confidentially during and after the internal investigation of the case. These aspects should be discussed with the supervisor to avoid any misunderstandings.