Deliverable Length: Main post: 300 words (minimum); 2 response posts: 75 words each (minimum)
OBJECTIVES
In your own words, answer this unit’s discussion questions in a main post (recommended minimum 300 words), and respond to at least 2 peers’ postings (recommended minimum 75 words).
Assignment Details
An officer is sent to conduct a welfare check to ascertain the well-being of an elderly citizen who may or may not be suffering from early on-set dementia. The officer determines that the citizen is not in any danger. The officer then establishes a friendship with the citizen and he begins stopping by her house each week while he is on duty. She trusts him because he is always in uniform. She begins offering him money, first in small amounts, and later in larger amounts. He initially declines the money, but he later begins accepting it. Over the course of a few weeks, he eventually accepts a thousand dollars from her in cash and in credit card purchases made on the Internet.
What are the ethical implications for a public safety officer who accepts gratuities in this way?
At what point does accepting gratuities become a crime, or when does it transition into a case of defrauding the elderly for personal gain?
Discussion Board Reminders:
Must have 3 posts: A main post and two replies to peers.
First post: Either your main post or a reply to others must be posted before midnight CT (Central time) on Friday of each week.
Second and third post: Must be posted on a different day from the first post.
Connect to content: At least 1 post must refer to course learning materials. See the Academic Resource on Discussion Boards for help with connecting to the content.
Engaging in class discussions: For more information on making the most of your class dialog, review the Academic Resource on Discussion Boards.
CRJS410 U1DB Assignment Overview Unit 1 Discussion Board
The case scenario involves an officer who has been accepting gifts, in the form of money and credit purchases, from an elderly citizen. Initially, the officer had established a friendship with the citizen after being sent to conduct a welfare check to ascertain her well-being. Since then, the officer has been making stops at the lady’s house and accepting large amounts of money. Based on an analysis of the scenario, the ethical implications of the public safety officer accepting gratuities in the identified way include a high chance of him being involved in corruption and the possibility of offering different treatment to other people.
One of the ethical implications of a public safety officer accepting gratuities in the identified way includes high chances of being involved in corruption. As noted by Parent (2018), gratuities are the first step on the slippery slope toward corruption. Therefore, if the officer continues to receive gratuities in the same way, he may eventually find himself in a situation where he demands money in exchange for his services.
Furthermore, the gratuities received by the officer may eventually lead to a situation where he offers different treatment to those in need of assistance. Parent (2018) emphasizes that sometimes gratuities may be given for future favor. In other words, those giving gratuities to officers may expect something in return. In such instances, the officer may be compelled to treat others differently as they may feel entitled to return the favor to those that offer gratuities.
While sometimes gratuities may be an act of admiration for police officers, accepting the gratuities may eventually become a crime and transition into a case of defrauding an elderly for personal gain if they violate the democratic policing. For example, if the officer begins to demand the gratuity to offer help to the elderly, then acceptance of the gift becomes an act of crime. Therefore, acceptance of gratuities become a crime when they violate democratic policing.
References
Parent, R., & Parent, C. (2018). Ethics and Canadian law enforcement. Canadian Scholar’s Press. ISBN: 1773380737, 97817733800735.