NCJ Number
151214
Date Published
1990
Length
112 pages
Annotation
This study examines the trends and events that will affect how police executives decide on ethical matters related to police service beyond legal and financial considerations.
Abstract
Ethical decisionmaking is defined as "a process in which moral principles are applied to the conduct of public officials in the course of performing their duties." These moral principles specify the rights and duties that public officials should respect and the conditions that policies should satisfy when they affect the well-being of individuals and society. Using the methodology of futures research, the study examines this emerging issue that faces law enforcement and analyzes its potential cross-impact on selected trends and events. The trends and events were identified through the Modified Conventional Delphi Technique and distilled to five each for final analysis. Trends that will impact ethical decisionmaking by the year 2000 are predicted to be the level of services demanded by the public, the crime rate, the number of civil lawsuits against police, special- interest influence, and judicial mandates on law enforcement. The high probability of the use of narcotic asset forfeiture funds as a major budget source for law enforcement agencies will also impact ethical decisionmaking. The strategic management and transition management plans include a recommendation for an executive-development ethics training program and supporting structures such as a citizen advisory council and an ethics resource group. The report concludes with a discussion of the research implications and a recommendation for further study. 17 references and a 14-item bibliography