Ethical Dilemma Paper

Ethical Dilemma Paper

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Ethical Dilemma Paper

Introduction

There are many ethical issues in law enforcement that can be identified and analyzed based on the situation that is presented in this case study. Ethics are a virtue, and these can range from disciplinary issues to specific ramification. Most importantly in some prominent statues, such as a law enforcement unit, ethics are a must and should be consistently maintained with the work environment (Ferguson, Thornley, & Gibb, 2016). However, in the case that is provided in this paper, an officer refuses to oblige with being responsible for the tattoos that he has on his body, and how it is affecting his work and offending his peers around him. Having stated that a swastika tattooed on the left arm, with a naked woman displayed on the right arm, raise some serious ethical concerns in a workplace. Other officers have refused to respond to any of his calls. Thus the paper would discuss how this can whether be a problem employee or a problem situation.

Discussion

Newton is the officer who is a target employee under the sanction of an ethical breach in the workplace by displaying offensive tattoos on both his arms. After carefully studying Newton's case, as a Police Chief, I have come to consider Newton both as a problem employee and this a problem situation. Through Newton's action on ethics, other officers are refusing to respond to his calls, which would affect the work environment of the whole unit and not only Newton's. Moreover, his refusal to accept that the tattoos displayed on his arms are abrupt and that he has the 1st and 14th amendment right and having to control such activity would be considered a hostile work environment (Phillips, 2017). Despite all that seems obvious, Newton’s behavior is yet another ethical issue on which serious actions can be taken against him based on his employment.

Most of the times, taking disciplinary actions against a senior officer can be difficult because a strong case and evidence have to be presented from which those actions can be validated. In Newton's case, I am not sure any such action can be taken despite from the fact that his problem situation is causing friction against him and other employees. Moreover, in the case study, it is clearly stated that there is no such policy in the law enforcement that prohibits the displaying of tattoos. Regardless of the oath that officer Newton has taken, I can not state if he is violating any written policies. But because of the animosity and hostility officer Newton is creating in the workplace, I can remind of his oath and also about the actions which can be taken against him if he fails to oblige with the ethics of the workplace.

When considering implementing such disciplinary actions, it is important for me to consider all the potential issues or ramifications. If any such actions are taken against him, I should be aware of any discrimination allegations or lawsuits that can be filed against “the Equal Employment opportunity commission (Connolly Jr, Connolly, & Feinstein, 2018).” Moreover, the two amendments that are stated above can be another issue as these can be used against the law enforcement agency in case of a lawsuit. Hence, all the evidence that is provided in the case aside from what is happening, as a police chief representing the law enforcement unit, I should be aware of all the requirements of this commission. Moreover, finding out whether the employee is a member of a church and has been allowed to body modifications. Also, having to implement some dress code policies would be useful in this case.

Conclusion

The aforementioned analysis on the case study of an ethical dilemma presented in the law enforcement raised many questions. These were summarized in the following essay through presenting different explanations to the problems associated with the officer and to what extent disciplinary actions can be taken against him. While looking at the substantial evidence which is against implementing such measures, I believe reminding the officer about his oath is the only hope for him to remove his tattoos. Otherwise, the lawsuits and the constitutions presented give him the right to be expressive and free about displaying anything on his body. As for the hostility being created, this can be overcome by addressing other officers about the situation.

References

Connolly Jr, W. B., Connolly, M. J., & Feinstein, J. (2018). A practical guide to equal employment opportunity. Law Journal Press.

Ferguson, S., Thornley, C., & Gibb, F. (2016). Beyond codes of ethics: how library and information professionals navigate ethical dilemmas in a complex and dynamic information environment. International Journal of Information Management, 36(4), 543-556.

Phillips, C. M. (2017). The Constitutionality of Restricting the State Sponsorship of Oppressive Messages and Symbols.