Ethical Issues and Decisions in Law Enforcement

Former FBI director Louis Freeh once stated: "We who enforce the law must not merely obey it. We have an obligation to set a moral example which those whom we protect can follow." As we enter the 21st century, drug law enforcement officers are faced with many challenging daily decisions. These difficult decisions impact public trust, upon which all aspects of drug law enforcement depend. This training will address these challenging situations, which can either cause destruction of personal worth and value to both family and agency, or establish true worth, enabling officers to efficiently combat the war on drugs. Emphasis will be placed on decision-making skills, consequences of ethical and unethical behavior, and the roles of moral development and personal character in the professional life of drug law enforcement officers.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Define basic terms related to the study of ethics
• Recognize the stages of career development
• Identify common ethical dilemmas and pitfalls for drug law enforcement officers
• Understand the role of personal moral development, integrity and character
• Recognize the consequences of both ethical and unethical behavior
• Discuss differences between institutional policies and individual ethics
• Discuss the nature and forms of corruption
• Apply the information and skills learned in this class to case studies and scenario-based exercises representative of ethical dilemmas present in drug law enforcement

Target Audience: Active military, active law enforcement, and criminal justice professionals

Course Duration: 16 hours

back to top