Moral Issues and New Recruits
Once you become a police officer, you will realize that there is a lot of freedom patrol officers have and their ability to use discretion can sometimes cause problems. Even officers with good intentions can routinely make morally questionable calls. It is important to determine the type of officer you wish to be and make sure that you abide by your personal sense of right and wrong.
Scenario:
Kevin Hung had been on the job for about a year and was partnered up with John MacDonnel who was a senior officer with ten years experience. Kevin was looking forward to working with John, as he had a great deal of experience, worked hard, wrote lots of tickets and consistently brought in good arrests on serious criminal charges. John was explaining to Kevin that they worked in a busy area with a great deal of street crime and there were more than enough bad guys to focus on and he preferred to protect and assist honest citizens.
One night while patrolling laneways in an area known to have a lot of Break and Enters, Kevin and John came across youth acting suspiciously by a garage door. They stopped him, took down his information and began questioning him. The suspect was identified as Trevor Ken who had a history of offences including drug possession, assaults, and mischief to property. Trevor currently didn’t have anything on him he shouldn’t have, and had not committed any illegal act at this time. There was nothing to charge him with.
Trevor became mouthy with the officers and got on his bike and left the area. He drove away with no light or horn on the bike, riding down the sidewalk. John and Kevin discussed the situation and they both agreed they probably prevented Trevor from committing a crime this instant, and Trevor was obviously up to no good. John decided to write several tickets for bicycle infractions against Trevor, and submit them as if they had actually been issued. He explained to Kevin, that the tickets would register a court date, and Trevor could decide to attend if he wanted to. Kevin did know that legally, the tickets should have been handed to Trevor though.
Should Kevin be concerned about this? He realized that the minor provincial charges were true, and that Trevor didn’t have a light or bell on his bike, but if it ever did go to court, John was supposed to get on the stand and swear that he did issue the tickets to Trevor? If it isn’t appropriate behaviour, should he mention it to anyone?
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From what little I know about Provincial tickets, are they have to be issued to the person at the time of the charge. I believe you sign something swearing to this. I wouldn’t get involved in doing stuff like this. I’d choose not to do it, but I wouldn’t bring it up with anyone.
Mention it for sure. BUT follow the chain of command. First talk to John about the issue and your concerns with it. Concerns regarding false testimony, perjury, obstructing justice…
Should John ignore the issue then Kevin should bring it to his Sergeant. What John is doing is not only morally wrong it is also illegal. After a warrant is issued for fail to appear things will get messy for John and perhaps Kevin. Since Kevin knows what is going on he to may be drawn into this perhaps as a party to the offence or co-conspiritor. Kevin may also be charged with the same offences as John since Kevin may fulfill the requirement of “knowingly…”
Papa1
I think the fact that the officers potentially diverted a crime by interrupting Trevor is a job done. I wouldn’t get involved with issuing tickets that Trevor has no idea were issued. I’m stuck on whether to say something or not. I would definetley speak to my partner and ask him/her their reasoning behind their actions. A good one to think about????
Aside from the questionable procedure here, what good was it to write those tickets? Ensure a court date, ok, and then what I mean for what exact reason were those tickets issued? Costs taxpayer money to pay judges and admin personnel and is a waste of paper imho. Anyone?
I beleive in loyalty to your parnter,but, its police like John, that give good police a bad rap. I would be speaking to John and saying “What are you doing” I would let John know what he is doing is morally wrong and I would help John see the light of day. If the behaviour of John is not corrected, I would report him to highter authority. Police are they to serve and protect, and John is not doing that, he is doing the opposite.
John has put Kevin in a very awkward spot, since Kevin knows that what John has done is not legal/ethical, and I think he should address it with John, putting it just that way - asking him to not follow through with those provincial offence tickets because Kevin would not be able to go along with something illegal or unethical done in his presence that puts HIM at risk. What if John had instead decided to give the kid a quick “tune-up” to keep him on the right path?