Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense

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May 25, 2024

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Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense: Is a Liar’s Squad Coming to Your Town? Jero E. Crowley Liberty University CJUS350 DO1 Professor R Roth 1

Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense: Is a Liar’s Squad Coming to Your Town? No matter the career path a person chooses at some point they will have to tackle a moral and ethical challenge that they will have to decide on. Some occupations will require some to make choices that will have a greater impact. Take, for instance the situation of a Take, for instance, the situation of a cashier who discovers extra funds at the conclusion of their shift. They face the decision of whether to report the surplus or retain it. Regardless of their choice, they may face commendation or termination. Similarly, law enforcement officers confront moral and ethical dilemmas on a regular basis. However, unlike many professions, the repercussions of their decisions can extend far beyond personal consequences, potentially impacting their department and even garnering national attention. This essay will delve into the ethical quandaries faced by officers, with a particular focus on a hypothetical scenario where I assume the role of a Police Chief tasked with addressing the misstep of a 15-year veteran officer. Furthermore, I will analyze various Supreme Court cases involving the handling of information, considering their constitutional implications and how they may relate to the scenario. Being a law enforcement officer is not an easy task, it takes a lot. It often feels as though the world is targeting you for something that occurred across the country. It is not a task that anyone can do, it takes a lot and it puts a toll not only on your friends and family. It’s a heavy price and some are willing to pay that price while some are not, birthdays and anniversaries will be missed, promises will be broken in the dedication to serving your community. “Police officers generally pledge an oath upon graduation from an academy, and many police agencies have adopted a code of ethics.” (Pollock, 2018) That oath is not something that should be taken 2

Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense lightly, you have now agreed that will be able to handle the pressure of being held to an hire standard and will be able to take the criticism and all the other stuff that comes with being law enforcement. You must understand that you are required and trusted that you will always be truthful in police reports and when testifying in court. As a police office the consequences for lying are very server, an officer can receive an Giglio letter or Braddy letter which is essentially a document stating an officer word is no credible and thus is not allowed to testify. (Welty, 2023) Proverbs 19:9 states, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish".” (Proverbs 19:9). When a police officer is caught lying, the consequences can be severe, ranging from losing their job to even facing jail time. Once the public loses faith in an officer's honesty, it undermines their credibility, sometimes to the point where they can't even testify in court cases anymore. Looking at the scenario, I am responding as if I am the Chief of Police for a municipality. As the Chief my role is to oversee the entirety of the department and ensure that everything is running as it should and being the direct point of communication between the department and the mayor and other city officials. I was informed by my Deputy Chief that one of our officers is being investigated for the misuse of department equipment, specifically the computer system. I was informed that an investigation was ongoing, the allegation was that he was going to pornographic sites on agency computers. When confronted with this initially he denied all claims, claimed he was innocent of the wrongdoing. Though, after he was confronted by the internal affairs investigator, he admitted his wrongdoing and stated he would never do it again. Looking at this file, I see that he has a relatively clean record except for an traffic accident ten years ago. Taking his history with the agency into account, in this case an officer with a record of 3

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