Police officers are held to a higher standard than the general public. They should be above reproach as they should not even attempt to live above the laws that they have sworn to uphold. When an officer exhibits signs of unethical behavior in any case, they are putting themselves above the law with the belief that they will not get caught or that their actions will go unnoticed.

In a situation like this, the supervisor should be notified immediately. Making the assumption that the suspect is guilty violates the premise of innocent until proven guilty and prevents a proper investigation from occurring. The supervisor should take the case and intervene by reassigning the case as quickly as possible in an effort to save the case and prevent more errors from being made. The supervisor should also initiate an investigation with internal affairs concerning the officer in an effort to determine if this is the officer’s normal behavior or if this is a one-time incident.

Videotaping the interrogation ensures that the questioning was done properly. More than that, the videotape can be used as evidence in court. Ethically, by refusing to videotape the interrogation, the officer creates a suspicious atmosphere by not disclosing the events that took place. The suspect can counter with claims of police brutality or that his Miranda Rights were not read. With a recording of the interrogation, these claims are completely unwarranted. Conducting the investigation properly is a basic and very important part of the job.

Rape is difficult for all victims. When the victim of any crime is a minor, the parents or legal guardian must be notified as soon as possible. The minor cannot even be questioned concerning details about the case and cannot receive treatment for any injuries received without consent from the parents or legal guardian. In a rape case, this consent is required to initiate the necessary exam to retrieve DNA evidence that could be the primary evidence used to convict the suspect and impedes the investigation into the attack by hospital staff. By not notifying the parents or legal guardian, the minor’s rights are violated. This is unethical as the victim should be the priority, especially in cases where a minor was raped. It gives the impression that the victim does not matter.

By acting unethically, the officer has sacrificed the probability of obtaining a conviction. This is especially unfair to the victim. Rape is traumatizing. The victims are often scarred for life and deserve to be treated better than this. If the rapist is not convicted, the probability of the rape of another young victim by the same suspect increases dramatically. The officer should ask the question “How would I feel if this victim was my child?” and maybe gain the insight into ethical behavior.

The officer also failed to uphold the sworn duty of “To serve and protect”. In this instance, justice is not being served and the victim as well as the general public is not being protected. Being a police officer is a difficult job and over time, many officers become less diligent in performing their duties. Maybe this officer was just having a bad day. That does not excuse failing to perform the basic duties of the job. Sacrificing their morals, ethics, and integrity is not the way to deal with this issue.

Considering that current events highlight the actions of ineffective and biased police forces and almost daily reports of police impropriety, all officers must do their very best in all areas to insure that they are performing their jobs ethically and conscientiously. Anything less falls far short of serve and protect. That is not fair to anyone.