Case Studies with Questions and Answers
Chapter 04: How Police Officers Learn Ethics
Positioning yourself beside your new partner, you feel both nervousness and excitement. You have recently graduated from the police academy and are starting your initial assignment with the Field Training Officer. You have excelled in your education leading up to being hired by the department, and you will be the only officer in your agency with a Masters Degree. This has resulted in some resentment by fellow officers during the academy, as they have sensed that your education will result in your promotion soon after the mandatory probationary period. In fact, you do have a strong desire to move up the ranks of the department as quickly as possible, but realize the need to have the respect of the fellow officers in order to accomplish this.
You have worked diligently during the academy to prove that in addition to being an excellent student, you also have the skill set to excel in the field. You have graduated from the academy at the top of your class in each area, yet realize that the field training officer orientation begins your life as a "real cop".
As your first shift is coming to an end, the FTO makes a routine traffic stop of a blue truck that has been swerving across the road. As your partner is conducting the stop, it becomes apparent that the driver is intoxicated. The driver indicates that he only lives 5 blocks away, and politely asks if he can simply drive home. Your FTO allows him to drive home, but follows the truck until it reaches its destination. This course of action departs from the official "zero tolerance" policy of the department, aimed at removing the officer discretion in DUI cases. When questioning the FTO for allowing the driver to continue driving while intoxicated, he responds by saying: "The paperwork on this DUI would have taken me 2 hours. Besides, we followed him home making sure nobody was injured."