Reference no: EM133554860

Does the constant presence of monitoring have a cooling effect on law enforcement activities? In other words, will law enforcement personnel be less willing to take aggressive but appropriate measures to combat crime if they are subject to near constant monitoring and recording? Does this create ethical dilemmas for law enforcement? And here is my response: In some cases the extra presence of the video camera can make a person think about the consequences of their actions before they proceed to do something. There will be evidence and their judgment can be tested. The ethical dilemma is whether that person chooses to ethically stand by those rules, and regulations of his/her job, or will that person neglect the objections of those rules and use negativity which could leave them in a serious situation. In performing their policing duties, police officers can exercise a high degree of discretion. This means they have broad freedom to make decisions about how to act in each situation. The criminal justice system comprises professionals who exercise power and authority over others and who in some cases are authorized to use force and physical coercion against them. The law, or accepted standards of behavior, imposes ethical rules and responsibilities on these professionals. It follows that professionals in the criminal justice system must be aware of ethical standards in carrying out their functions. Ethics is crucial in decisions involving discretion, force, and due process because criminal justice professionals can be tempted to abuse their powers (Felknes 1984).