Criminal Justice Ethics Analytical Essay by Top Papers

The paper examines deontological (doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do) and teleological (doing something because it will satisfy some greater good or morally-appealing final outcome) ethics with context of police work - mostly with the aim of showing the destructive effects which inevitably arise when teleological ethics are employed in police work instead of deontological ethics. The paper argues that, while perfectly understandable, the idea that those who are entrusted with "serving and protecting" the public have the prerogative to act immorally as part of their efforts to secure the apprehension of dangerous criminals is simply wrong-headed. The writer contends that using immoral means to arrive at a desired moral end is not an irresolvable problem because it should be evident that immoral police conduct will heighten public cynicism/resentment towards the police, will lead to court intervention, and will make the job of policing vastly more difficult than it already is; it will also encourage the very sort of "blue wall" that has been sharply denounced in the past. The paper concludes that the idea that teleological ethics is defensible in policing - save, perhaps, in extreme instances wherein an officer's life is in clear danger - is not one that stands up to scrutiny.