Entry-level police officer position by three high-ranking members of a police agency
Imagine yourself being interviewed for an entry-level police officer position by three high-ranking members of a police agency. You will respond to
three different situations involving corruption. This assignment will help you apply what you have learned about ethical leadership to real-world situations. You
will need to consider the scenarios carefully, craft an answer to each scenario, and have research to defend your answer. In an interviewing situation, the
interviewer may challenge your answer, even if it is the appropriate answer. That is why it is important to have a prepared argument that includes supporting
research.
You will need to respond to the following three situations.
Situation A
As a newly hired police officer, you respond to an alarm call at 3 a.m. with your field training officer. Upon arrival, you find that a pharmacy has been broken into,
and when you walk inside, you see another officer already on scene. This officer, who you know has 30 years on the job, takes a candy bar worth $1 off the shelf
and begins to eat it. It is clear that he did not pay for it and has no intention of leaving money behind.
Will you do or say anything about this situation? If you decide to do something, what will your action entail? If you decide to not react, provide a rationale for
your choice.
Situation B
As a newly hired police officer, you work daily with a field training officer as well as three other officers on the 11 p.m.–7 a.m. shift. You have noticed on several
occasions that there is an odor of liquor when one particular officer comes into the locker room before the shift. You have had conversations with him and he
has told you that he goes out to dinner before he comes into work and has a couple drinks but that it is no big deal. This particular field training officer has a lot
of experience and is trusted within the community and organization. When you were hired, you were told that the organization is implementing a plan to weed
out corruption that is occurring in the field. The plan being implemented is not about officers drinking on the job, but you are concerned that if you do not say
something regarding this behavior, he is going to hurt someone. You are worried that if you do say something, there may be retaliation against you.
Explain what you will do in this situation. Will you say something to your field training officer? Why or why not?
Sample Solution
You are not automatically a police officer just because you work at a police agency. There are numerous positions available that provide opportunities for various people to join the area of law enforcement. Within a police agency, there are primarily two different job categories: sworn and non-sworn. The Full List of Police Department Positions: Part 1 Positions Not Sworn) The sworn roles available within the police department will be the subject of the second section of our guide to working for the police. The police officer position is the one that frequently shows up in job listings. This position is sworn in,
