Training Police in Professional Ethics

Abstract

Throughout the twentieth century, efforts have been made by police agencies to achieve professional status. However, it remains problematic if police work can be conceptualized as being that of professionals. This paper argues that while the objections to calling the police a profession as well as the disjunctives between public perceptions and those of the police themselves are sometimes great, claims to professional status can be legitimate. Tables are developed to show how training can both identify tensions and provide ethical resolutions. Such training in ethics is viewed as a way to help police become professionals and minimize many of the serious errors that law enforcement agencies are currently under attack for allegedly committing and/or condoning.