Ethics V Rules and Standards

In todays’ ever moving Police service there is a lot of talk about ethics. This particularly affects the misconduct world of the individual police officer. Currently we are governed by a clear set of rules or standards that are laid down and are clear and transparent. These are supported through a series of stated cases that assist the misconduct process and associated decision making. In the future, as part of the move towards becoming a “profession” with a “professional body” governing us, we are advised it might be good for us to be governed by a set of ethics.

Misconduct panels are potentially going to disappear in their current form and may in the future consist of only of one person.

There are inherent dangers in both moving towards using a set of ethical standards instead of rules and regulations and only having one decision maker deciding serious misconduct cases. In that potentially you or I could be judged by an individual; whose interpretation of a set of ethical standards decides your future.

It is not too hard to find figures in history or politicians whose interpretation of ethical standards leaves a lot to be desired.

On a positive note ethical standards together with a clear set of standards as we have currently in theory could potentially not be a bad thing. Ethical thinking however does vary between cultures. What may be considered as unethical in one culture could be potentially not thought of in the same way in another culture.

In a book written by Neville Evans “Morale Matters” - a police officer’s guide to reducing stress in the workplace.  There is a chapter on ethical policing. This book is available as a free PDF download on the Greater Manchester Police Federation website.

I would advise all readers of this article to read this chapter. I currently include this in the regular training presentations that we give at progress house to officers.

Also in this book is constructive advice on maintaining your wellbeing as a Police Officer. On a misconduct level the effects of being subject of an investigation cannot be underestimated. It is well known that stress can manifest itself in physical symptoms. There are links between stress and cancer which is always a potential consequence of suffering from severe stress.

Again it is important as a Police Officer to look after your own wellbeing. As federation representatives, if an officer is served with a misconduct notice, we recognise the stress the officer is experiencing. There is quite often anger at being accused of something that the officer may not have done. This is quite normal. It is recognised that a significant number of complaints against officers can be malicious. As a defence against an allegation It is a good thing to write down exactly what happened as soon as possible. This should be for your own reference initially. It should help you be able to rationalise what the allegation is and what, if any, your liability is. By seeing the truth, as you see it, on paper you will hopefully save yourself any unnecessary future stress. It may be also advantageous to seek counselling if you are worrying about this excessively. This is available free through the forces counselling helpline. Physical exercise is also a good stress reducer and should be considered.

If you find yourself the subject of misconduct do not hesitate to contact your federation representative who will provide you with help and support. Do not think that just because you have not done anything wrong everything will be alright.