Ethics for the Public Service Professional

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Public service professionals — government officials, those in the legal system, first responders, and investigators — confront ethical issues every day. In an environment where each decision can mean the difference between life and death or freedom and imprisonment, deciding on an ethical course of action can pose challenges to even the most seasoned professional. Ethics for the Public Service Professional explores these issues as they relate to virtually all areas of public service.

Examining the history of ethics, codes, and legislation relating to public service, this volume:

  • Provides timely coverage of current police and public service controversies
  • Discusses important new mechanisms of accountability, including comprehensive use-of-force reporting, citizen complaint procedures, early intervention systems, and police auditors
  • Presents real-life situations faced by those within public service, encouraging discussion and debate
  • Incorporates news stories throughout the text to demonstrate the diverse scope of ethical issues within the public service workplace
  • Includes a list of Web sites to facilitate further research

Each chapter begins with learning objectives to emphasize active rather than passive learning, along with key terms for readers to assimilate. Many chapters contain Ripped from the Headlines current event examples that demonstrate actual scenarios involving the issues discussed within the chapter. Case studies and summations further assist readers in comprehending the material, along with sections offering insight from public servants specializing in a particular area. Review questions at the end of each chapter test comprehension.

Table of Contents

Ethics: A Look at the Basics

What Are "Ethics"?

Revisiting the Basics

Morals, Values, and Ethics

Ethical Subdivisions

Differentiating Ethics and Morals from Law

What Ethics Involves

Further Defining Ethical Makeup

Causal and Moral Responsibility

Ethical Perspectives

Altruism

Utilitarianism

Categorical Imperative

Ethical Culture

Decision Making: The Logic of Ethics

Ethical Decision Making

Making a Decision

Guidelines for Ethical Decision Making

Existentialism

The Logic of Ethics

Good versus Bad Arguments

Deductive versus Inductive Arguments

Truth versus Validity

Sound versus Unsound Arguments

Evaluating the Result of Decisions

Leadership Ethics

Introduction

Deciding How to Lead

Establishing Trust through Leadership

Ethical Behavior as an Organizational Theme

Why Morale Is Important in Organizational Ethics

Ethics in the Workplace Assessment

Ethical Codes and Standards

Establishing Organizational Support

Developing Codes of Ethics

Code of Ethics Types

Purpose of Establishing a Code of Ethics

Arguments against Ethical Codes

Code of Ethics Examples

Ethics in Law Enforcement

Introduction; Randy Taylor

Ethical Frameworks Related to Ethical Training

Codes of Ethics in Law Enforcement

Police Culture

Career Stages and Ethics

Police Misbehavior

Current Practices for the Prevention of Unethical Behavior

Authority

Discretion

Corruption

Conflicts of Interest

Recruitment

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Ethics in Forensic Science

Ethics and Forensic Testimony

Forensic Science Gone Awry

Legal Rulings Regarding Forensic Testimony

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Report

Ethics at the Crime Scene

Misconduct within Crime Laboratories; R. T. Bowen

Ethics Education in Forensic Science; R. T. Bowen

National Forensic Center; R. T. Bowen

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Ethics in Corrections Systems

Ethics in Corrections; C. Roberson and S. Mire

Subculture in Corrections

Sentencing

The Case against Socrates

Purposes of Punishment

Retribution

Deterrence

Incapacitation

Rehabilitation

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Ethics in the Legal System

Introduction

Judges and Magistrates

Attorneys

Reporting Professional Misconduct

Expert Witnesses

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Ethics in Public Office

Ethics in Governance

United States Office of Government Ethics

Common Ethics Issues

Private Life and Public Office

Integrity in Office

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Ethics in Other Areas of Public Service

Military Ethics

Ethics in Social Services

Ethics in Emergency Medical Services

Ethics in Firefighting

Ethics in Government Contracts

Legislation Regarding Ethics in Public Service

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Ethics Training and Education; Randy Taylor, D. M.

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The Future of Public Service Ethics

Future Research Needs

The Impact of Technology on Ethics Training

Appendices

Index

Reviews

". . . the moral and ethical concepts gleaned from reading this book are worthy of assimilation into one's professional activities, and indeed into one's personal life."

—Scientific Sleuthing Review

Author/Editor Biography

Aric W. Dutelle has been involved in law enforcement since 1999. He is currently the program director of the Forensic Investigation program at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. Dutelle has trained thousands of personnel in ethical considerations and proper methodologies. He has worked thousands of crime scenes, including kidnappings, homicides, suicides, robberies, burglaries, sexual assaults, and drug trafficking–related cases.

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