CRJS410 U2DB Assignment Overview: Unit 2 Discussion Board
In the selected case scenario, an officer works two jobs simultaneously; as an undercover cop and an instructor for a driver improvement class. Also, the officer receives paychecks for both of his roles at the same time. Based on an analysis of this scenario, there exists a legal and ethical issue in accepting paychecks from both employers as the officer does not have the necessary caveats to be working a second job.
The main legal and ethical issue surrounding the case scenario is the acceptance of paychecks by a police officer without caveats from the respective law enforcement department. Notably, it is expected that the officer works on a full-time basis as an undercover cop, despite having to work in shifts from 3:00 pm to 12:00 am each day. As such, in the instance where the officer decides to take a second job, they should inform their department to ensure that necessary caveats are instituted to prevent the interference of other roles on the officer’s primary task. However, the officer failed to report his involvement in the second job and continues to accept paychecks without proper caveats, thus creating an ethical and legal issue in his line of work.
In my opinion, the officer’s behavior falls under the category of moral turpitude. Moral turpitude is a behavior that violates the standards of a community. In this context, the officer’s conduct appears to violate the legal standards of the law enforcement community as he indulges in a second job without permission from his department. Furthermore, he accepts a paycheck from the second job without the knowledge of his supervisor. This act can be interpreted as an attempt to make extra money while still working as a full-time police officer. The highlighted actions of going against the standards of the law enforcement community qualify as moral turpitude.
Apart from the ethical issues displayed by the officer, several other behaviors may also not be tolerated by criminal justice personnel. These behaviors include the use of an officer’s position for private gain and holding financial interests that conflict with the performance of their duties. Furthermore, police officers are not allowed to accept gifts from individuals seeking official action from the law enforcement agency.