| There is a paucity of research in the area of law enforcement ethical decision making, especially when it comes to the moment of an unethical decision and its aftermath. In this basic interpretative qualitative study, six former law enforcement officers who lost their jobs as a result of one unethical decision were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were used to gain an understanding and interpretation of the impact of training and the law enforcement subculture. Additionally sought was the participants' use of various decision-making theories, including (a) the techniques of neutralization, (b) proximity, and (c) locus of control. The impact of the decision and its continuing influence on the participants' lives was also explored. The research findings imply a potential need for better education in the area of ethics and decision making for law enforcement officers, improved communication regarding policies, procedures, agency goals, and key departmental priorities between administration and line personnel in a law enforcement agency, and the intrinsic benefits gained by an agency when an officer believes that he or she has some measure of power over his or her professional life. |
