Professional Conduct and Ethics Flashcards

An officer is subpoenaed and must testify about a colleague's misconduct. Ethically, the officer should:

Answer: Testify truthfully

Officers are sworn to tell the truth, even when it implicates a colleague.

Which scenario best represents a conflict of interest?

Answer: Investigating a business owned by a relative

Investigating a relative's business creates a personal stake that compromises objectivity.

An off-duty officer is detained for DUI in another jurisdiction. Ethically, the officer should:

Answer: Cooperate and accept the same treatment as any citizen

Officers must be held to the same legal standards as the public.

Excessive force is best defined as force that is:

Answer: Greater than objectively reasonable under the circumstances

Force becomes excessive when it exceeds what is objectively reasonable for the situation.

An officer pressures a witness to change a statement to strengthen a case. This is:

Answer: Witness tampering and unethical

Coercing a witness to alter testimony is witness tampering and a serious ethical and legal violation.

Body-worn camera footage that captures officer misconduct should be:

Answer: Preserved and disclosed as required

Footage must be preserved and handled per evidence and disclosure rules.

An officer's primary loyalty, when peer loyalty and public duty conflict, must be to:

Answer: The law and the public

An officer's oath places duty to the law and public above personal loyalties.