Intro to Law Enforcement

Professionalism, Ethics, and Moral Standards in Law Enforcement


American Public University

American Military University Professor Stewart

CMRJ100 Intro. To Law Enforcement


November 15, 2013

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 3.7 million household burglaries occurred each year on average from 2003 to 2007. Could you imagine being one of these victims; coming home from a vacation only to find out someone has broke into your home and stole most of your possessions? Now in a situation as this, everything that happens after reporting the crime is crucial. You as the victim are possibly torn apart and extremely devastated. So, when it comes to the police officer arriving on scene; what type of person would you rather deal with? Would you prefer a cop who shows no professionalism, ethics or moral standards or a cop who right off the back shows all these characteristics? The choice here is very obvious. Law Enforcement personnel should posses all these characteristics for their day to day operations.

How does professionalism relate to the pursuit of a career in law enforcement?

Professionalism is important in any career field, but it is extremely important in a law enforcement career field. Could you imagine working with a cop who was completely unprofessional? A unprofessional cop not only embarrassing themselves but also whatever unit they are from. Being professional as a cop is important because as a cop you are constantly under the microscope of the community, other officers and who ever else you may be in contact with. When it comes to the hiring process of new law enforcement personnel, the person hiring looks at things such as the way the person carries themselves, how they speak, and the manner they act in.

How does ethics relates to the pursuit of a career in law enforcement?

By definition from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, ethics is “the rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.” In normal...