Finally, there are individual officers ethical standards developed over a lifetime of interaction with family and peers (Finckenauer, 2002). In certain circumstance police officers have a selective disregard for the rule-of-law. This is evidenced by the many cases of police misconduct seen throughout the nation. Officers at times bend and sometimes break rules and laws in attempting to reach those goals. Occasionally the police commit crimes, violate the rule-of-law, and infringe on human rights while protecting the community they are protecting (Finckenauer, 2002). .
There are two types of problems that are encountered in police ethics. The first type include issues that center around integrity such as taking bribes, giving perjured testimony, or inflicting harm on suspects through use of illegal force. The other set of problems involve harder choices in law enforcement that require further ethical analysis needed to supplement the judgment of right and wrong (Heffernan, 1982). Although the public is most concerned about the more visible encroachment of the rule-of-law, most of the unethical conduct is more mundane and difficult to detect. Violations of the rule-of-law include acts such as police brutality, planting false evidence, and lying in court (Finckenauer, 2002).
There are several factors that encourage police officers to violate the rule-of-law and human rights. Police are an integral part of the criminal justice system has the purpose of controlling crime in the community. Due to the unique authority that is given to police officers the opportunities to abuse that power are countless. With this authority officers must respect the public they serve and must maintain a balance between crime-control and due process. Career success and progression influence officer behavior. Society judges the effectiveness of police organizations based on crimes solved, people arrested, tickets written, or contraband seized.