Ethics has become an important issue for new recruits and experienced police officers because
A) community oriented policing has given the street officer significantly more discretion
B) of legislative enactments
C) the chain of command requires it
D) everyone else is studying ethics, so police officers should too

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Community oriented policing (COP) has shifted the responsibility of problem-solving and decision-making from higher-ups to the street-level officer. This increased discretion requires officers to make ethical decisions on a regular basis, which is why ethics has become an important issue for both new and experienced police officers. Legislative enactments (B) can impact ethical decision making, but COP and increased officer discretion have had a greater impact. While the chain of command (C) may require officers to act ethically, it is ultimately up to the individual officer to make informed, ethical decisions. Choice D is not a valid explanation as it is not a sufficient reason for why ethics is important for police officers.

Ethics Has Become an Important Issue for New Recruits and Experienced