What is meant by police ethics, noble cause corruption, and the “Dirty Harry Problem,” and how do they each relate to Packer’s crime-control and due process models of law enforcement?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In a broad sense, for the police, being ethical should include holding themselves and others accountable for their actions. Police officers will treat all persons with dignity and respect and in a lawful manner; they will not use more force than necessary; they will not demonstrate bias for or against any particular group of persons; they will make every effort to ensure that all officers are well trained to meet the highest standards of professionalism; and they will maintain adequate policies, procedures, rules, regulations, general orders, and so forth for ensuring the public’s trust, which includes procedures for investigating alleged incidents of bias and unprofessional behavior.

Noble cause corruption, or the Dirty Harry problem, holds that the end of crime control justifies the means used to obtain that control, even if the means are otherwise unethical or illegal. In other words, this view, also known as the principle of double effect, holds that if one commits an act to achieve a good end, even though an inevitable but intended effect is negative, then the act might be justified. It is closely entwined with Packers two models of law enforcement, crime control and due process, and stems from a crime-control orientation, which holds that the repression of criminal conduct is the most important function of the police.