Discretion And The Criminal Justice Professionals Research Paper

Discretion And The Criminal Justice Professionals - Research Paper Example Therefore, researchers argue that the efforts on the part of security forces â€Å"unforeseen effects† on the privacy of citizens. Under such situations, if the police officers do not respect the value of privacy of citizens, their action will constitute the crossing of ethical boundaries. From the evidence evaluated during the course of this research, it has transpired that law enforcement officers are bestowed the power discretion which offers them immense authority over the citizens of the US. Many police officers misuse this power for personal gains such as accepting bribes, favoring individuals by not reporting their crimes, inflicting harm on ethnic minorities, poking into the private lives of citizens etc. On the other hand, there is a need for the police officers to have such powers because of their role in protecting the safety of citizens and fighting the menace of terrorism. Terrorist activities across the world and especially in countries like the US and India are on the increase and, therefore, police officers need to be endowed with the authority to check vehicles, search home and private premises, arrest suspect or even shoot terrorists to prevent the escalation of violent terrorist activities. However, police officers should be professional in their actions while dealing with as well as codes of conduct and ensure that they do not cross ethical limits by violating citizens’ freedom. Thus, while tackling the issue of terrorism and other crimes, police officers need to adhere to ethical principles.