Edwin Delattre classifies police character into four categories: the bad, the uncontrolled, the self-controlled and the excellent. The bad character is a person who actively looks for opportunities to “profit by victimizing others”. (Delattre, 2006) This person sees nothing wrong with their actions, feels no remorse, and expects others to submit to their will. The bad character is not simply tempted by immorality but actively finds and creates situations where they can take advantage or profit. These are persons who do not apply anything they have learned about right and wrong to their own conduct. (Delattre, 2006) To illustrate an officer who could be classified as a bad character, imagine a police officer who has no second thoughts about stealing drug money from a drug dealer and then arresting them for the sale of drugs and potentially keeping a portion of the drugs for personal use or to sell themselves.
The uncontrolled character can sometimes be confused with the bad character. This is an officer who generally starts out with good intentions but is weak-willed. Over time they succumb to the attraction and benefits of profitable unethical behavior and peer-pressure from other officers. This person, when presented with an opportunity to make an immoral choice, cannot restrain themselves from giving into the temptation that monetary or material benefits offers. As time goes on, the officer with the uncontrolled character type will likely fall into progressively worse behavior. (Delattre, 2006) If, for example, we put our uncontrolled character type officer in the same scenario as we have our bad character type, you may likely have the same overall outcome. The difference however, is that the bad character type does not even consider that his actions are wrong while the uncontrolled type gives in under the possible pressure of his fellow officers or the thought of the monetary gain to be had from completing such an unethical, immoral, and illegal action.
On the other side of the continuum is the self-controlled officer. This officer should be the one that the department looks for and reaches out to in order to prevent them from become either uncontrolled or simply of bad character and behavior. This officer does what is right for the most part and indiscretions are typically minor. However, this officer will “…resent the higher standards of conduct to which they are held” and this leads to “tension between duty and desire.” (Delattre, 2006) These officers quickly become unhappy when they realize that despite all they risk to protect our streets, the greater material rewards inevitably go to the ‘bad guy’. They see other officers benefiting from corruption and begin to second guess their appropriate behavior. Department intervention is the key to keeping these officers on the side of ethical behavior. For example, our self-controlled officer arrives to the previously mentioned drug bust. The officer is aware of the potential for making money by compromising his character but does not act on it. Instead, he makes the appropriate arrest and goes through the motions but still feels discontent about the benefits he could be earning if he was willing to make the concessions that his corrupt colleagues make.
Finally, we have the excellent character. This is a rare person. This person always makes the ethically correct, unbiased decisions. They are not swayed in the slightest nor do they even recognize temptation for what it is. They follow the letter and spirit of the law. Their “…habits of trustworthiness have become integral to their lives”. (Delattre, 2006) They not only do their job but have peace of mind knowing that they believe and stand up for the work that they do. They are “truly incorruptible with no temptation to steal.” (Delattre, 2006) In our drug bust scenario, the excellent character would not only arrest the drug dealer and confiscate all the drugs and money for evidence, it would simply not even occur to them to try to take advantage of the situation by stealing the money or drugs.
Delattre, E. (2006). Character and Cops, Fifth Edition: Ethics in Policing, Fifth Edition.
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