What are ethics defined as?
Principles of conduct governing an individual or a group, including rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad (or right and wrong).
What is integrity defined as?
A firm adherence to a code of moral values.
What are morals defined as?
Being concerned about or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior.
What is one of the legal consequences of using discretion in an unethical manner?
Violation of a person’s Constitutional rights.
What is discretion defined as in the context of law enforcement?
The right to choose what should be done in a particular situation, the quality of having or showing good judgment, and the ability to make responsible decisions.
What is explicit bias?
Conscious bias where individuals are aware of their attitudes, stereotypes, and beliefs and openly admit them as part of their worldview.
What is implicit bias?
Bias developed from prior experiences that influences behavior, is subtle, not based on hatred or hostility, and is often passively acquired with no conscious awareness
What is confirmation bias?
When people seek or interpret information in ways that are partial to their existing beliefs or expectations (“we see what we want to see and look for what we want to find”).
What is biased-based policing?
Discrimination in performing law enforcement duties based on personal officer prejudices.
What is legitimacy in policing?
A community belief that law enforcement can exercise authority, maintain social order, manage conflicts, and solve problems.
What is the underlying concept of procedural justice?
People are more likely to comply with directives and voluntarily accept outcomes when they feel that they have been treated fairly by law enforcement.
List the four pillars of procedural justice.
•Be fair in processes
•be transparent in actions
•provide an opportunity for voice
•be impartial in decision-making
How many distinct steps are there in the Critical Decision-Making (C.D.M.) model?
Five
List the five steps of the Critical Decision-Making (C.D.M.) model.
- Collect information
- Assess situation, threats, and risks
- Consider police powers and agency policy
- Identify options and determine best course of action
- Act, review, and re-assess.
The C.D.M. model is a circular process that supports constant what?
Re-assessment of situations, problems, and risks based on new information and re-calibrating decision-making.
What does the first step of the C.D.M. model, “Collect information,” align with from the procedural justice elements?
Voice and participation.
List the six common barriers to problem-solving
Groupthink, Us vs. Them, Code of Silence, Corruption, Noble Cause Corruption, and Unethical Rationalizations.
What is the North Carolina state legal standard regarding the Duty to Intervene?
An officer must attempt to intervene to prevent the use of excessive force and report the unauthorized use of force to a supervisor (or highest-ranking non-involved officer) within 72 hours.
Under federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1983), an officer may be held liable for failing to intervene on the theory of bystander liability if the officer knows a fellow officer is violating constitutional rights, has a reasonable opportunity to prevent harm, and chooses to do what?
Chooses not to act
What is a passive bystander?
Someone who does nothing when the circumstances require action.
What is an active bystander?
Someone who takes action to prevent or stop unsafe, improper, unethical, or illegal conduct.
Name two of the sociological/psychological inhibitors to intervening that can be potent and pervasive in hierarchical organizations like law enforcement.
Pluralistic ignorance and Diffusion of responsibility.
What is pluralistic ignorance?
A social phenomenon where individuals from a group make incorrect assumptions about their group’s beliefs and values, erroneously inferring they feel differently from their peers even though they are behaving similarly.
What is the diffusion of responsibility?
When multiple bystanders are present during an event, each one feels less obligated because they believe someone else could act.
