Scenario

Gift or guilt

April Briscuso

Kaplan University

Applied Criminal Ethics

The age old dilemma on ethic’s, is it a gift or is it a bribe? To some it seems like an innocent gift showing thanks for some sort of service that has been rendered, yet to others it feels as they are required to pay the giver back in some way. Some of the most recent morally ethical scenarios we have learned about are the slippery slope, the society at large, the structural or affiliation an the rotten apple theories.

The slippery slope is when someone thinks that by taking a small gratuity it might lead to a negative slope of events eventually leading to corruption. Think kind of behavior can start as simple as taking a free soda from the local gas station all the way up to endorsing a candidate for police chief. It has been though that while taking a free meal or soda is usually a simple gesture by the business owner to show their appreciation for the job that the officers do, that it might be perceived as that business will get special treatment when it comes to reporting a crime. Normally, I have seen that most officers take free meals or free drinks from business owners and they treat those businesses no different or any more special than any other. Some officers do get used to this kind of treatment and they come to expect it and think that they are entitled to it because of the authority that their badge gives them. I do not agree with this type of behavior and morally it is wrong to expect it and not just be appreciative of it.

Back in the old day’s society was a fee for service based society and today it is still kind of true. You valet park your car and a tip is usually given to the valet person. You tip lots of service providers from the wait staff at restaurants to the person who curs your hair. Usually these tips are being given AFTER a service is provided and it is sign of thanks. If you were to give the tip before the service is provided and expect the...