The document discusses the ethical considerations for law enforcement officers, particularly in relation to accepting gratuities, such as free coffee. It outlines the importance of maintaining integrity and ethical conduct while highlighting a case involving a police chief arrested for drunk driving. Additionally, it emphasizes the mission, goals, and guiding principles that shape police behavior and decision-making in ethical dilemmas.

1. Law Enforcement Ethics:
More than a Free Cup of CoffeeMore than a Free Cup of Coffee
LT Christopher St. Cyr
Dalton Police Department

2. Ground Rules
• No Thin Skins
• Be Respectful
– Use “Someone I know
– No name calling
– “Uncle”
• Free discussion for the purpose of
learning, not embarrassing!
• QUESTIONS?

3. Free or Reduced Coffee
• While the title of this training implies
there is more to ethics than a free
cup of coffee, gratuities are important
ethical topics.
• We will spend the next five (not four
or six, 5) minutes talking about the
pros and cons of accepting or
refusing the free or reduced cup of
coffee.

4. Motivator
• By Patrick Cronin, April 22, 2009
STRATHAM — Police Chief Michael Daley was arrested in North Hampton
on drunken driving charges.
Daley was arrested at the beach parking lot on Ocean Boulevard.
According to the North Hampton police log, an officer spotted Daley’s
car in the lot after hours. The officer had Daley undergo a field sobriety
test and, as a result of his performance, Daley was taken into custody.
The Stratham police chief was subsequently released on $500 personal
recognizance bail. Daley is set to appear May 18 in Hampton District
Court. Daley was appointed police chief of Stratham in 1992. He was
fired in October 1995 but was reinstated a year later after he
successfully fought his termination at Rockingham Superior Court.
According to newspaper archives, selectmen at the time accused him of
fixing traffic tickets, reducing DWI charges against two relatives (one
against his nephew and another on behalf of his wife’s second cousin)
and ordering officers to apply for off-duty court fees, while still on duty.

5. Discussion
• How do police actions like this reflect
on all police officers?
• How often did other police officers
know of his conduct?
• How do you deal with situations
when another officer, especially a
supervisor engages in unethical
conduct?
• How do you really know what the
right thing to do is?

6. Values
• Personal Values
• Work Values
• Family Values
• Community Values
Practical Exercise

7. Ethical Dilemma
• Situations that cause two or more
core values to clash when making a
decision.
• Practical Exercise

8. Mythical PD’s Mission
• The primary mission of the police force is crime
prevention and the protection of life and property.
The laws and police procedures related to them
are promulgated by police agencies for the
purpose of maintaining order and continuity. The
basis, however, of all police action is the law, and
the credibility of the law enforcement profession
will be measured by its contribution to the welfare
of the people, its concern for excellence, and by
the guidance it provides to its members toward a
high level of ethical practice.

9. Law Enforcement Code of Ethics
• As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to
serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect
the innocent against deception, the weak against
oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against
violence and disorder; and to respect the Constitutional
rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.
•
• I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all;
maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn or
ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of
the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both
my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying
the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.
Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is
confided in me in my official capacity will be kept ever
secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of
my duty.

10. Law Enforcement Code of Ethics (cont.)
• I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings,
prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my
decisions. With no compromise for crime and with
relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law
courageously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice
or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence,
and never accepting gratuities.
•
• I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public
faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I
am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly
strive to achieve those objectives and ideals, dedicating
myself before God to my chosen profession - law
enforcement.

11. The Cross-Examination
• You are a witness at a trial. Direct
examination has ended. Now it is
time for cross...

12. Cross Examination II
• Discuss the results of the cross
examination.

13. The Mission
The mission of the Mythical Police
Department is the prevention of
crime, protection of life and property,
and the maintenance of order.
• Still too long?

14. The Mission
• Keeping the peace,
• Preventing crime,
• Protecting lives and property.
• Better?

15. The Mission
* The Mission statement provides
guidance about WHY we should be
doing, but not how.

16. Department Goals
• The purpose of this manual is to establish the
principles for the management of the Mythical
Police Department, and the standards of behavior
to which every member of the department shall be
held accountable. Its goals are to increase the
quality of police service, to elevate the standards
of the profession, and to strengthen the public
confidence in law enforcement; to encourage
officers individually and collectively to fully
appreciate the total responsibilities of their office;
to earn the support and cooperation of the general
public in these endeavors.
• GOT IT?

17. Department Goals
1. Increase quality of police service.
2. Strengthen public confidence in the
department.
3. Encourage officers, individually and
collectively, to appreciate the
responsibilities of their office.
4. Earn the support and cooperation of
the community to complete our
mission.
BETTER?

18. Guiding Principals
• Duty
• Integrity
• Justice
• Cooperation
• Respect

19. Mission, Goals, Guiding
Principals
• Mission is WHY.
• Goals are WHAT.
• Guiding Principles are HOW.

20. Ethical Dilemma Part II
• Return to the earlier exercise.
• Using the department Mission,
Goals and Guiding Principals,
resolve this dilemma.

21. The Free Coffee
• Your on a traffic post of a bad
accident that has one lane of traffic
closed. It is dark, rainy and cold.
As you run people through, one car
stops and the driver rolls down the
window. He hands you a cup of
coffee and says, “Thank-you.” rolls
up the window and drives off.
• Ethical or not?

22. Review
• We learned about values.
• We learned the role of Mission
Statements, Goals and Guiding
Principals.
• We practiced and discussed how
personal values vs. department
guiding principals may change
decisions when faced with and
ethical dilemma.
• We discussed why ethical
dilemmas are difficult to resolve.

23. Questions, Comments, Other Discussion?

24. For more information...
References
– http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20090422/NEWS/90422037/-1/NEWS19
– IACP Website
– Richard Ayres seminar: Ethical, Character Driven Law
Enforcement
Contact LT St. Cyr by email
– lt.stcyr.dpd@gmail.com