JIBC Law Enforcement Applied Ethics 3

Question 1

An officer discovers that a family member is involved in criminal activity. The ethical response is to:

Accepted Answer

Recuse themselves and report through appropriate channels

Answer

Officers must apply the law impartially; recusal and reporting ensures integrity without personal compromise.

Question 2

The 'slippery slope' theory in police ethics warns that:

Accepted Answer

Minor ethical violations tend to escalate into serious misconduct over time

Answer

Small ethical compromises normalize rule-breaking, making larger violations easier to rationalize over time.

Question 3

When exercising discretion, officers are expected to base decisions primarily on:

Accepted Answer

Objective facts, law, and departmental policy

Answer

Discretion must be guided by facts and policy rather than personal bias or external pressure to ensure consistency and fairness.

Question 4

Which ethical framework judges an action's morality solely by its consequences or outcomes?

Accepted Answer

Consequentialism

Answer

Consequentialism evaluates actions based on the outcomes they produce, such as maximizing overall well-being.

Question 5

An officer is asked by a supervisor to falsify a report to close a case. The officer should:

Accepted Answer

Refuse and report the request to a higher authority or oversight body

Answer

Falsifying reports is a criminal act; refusal and reporting to oversight is both the legal and ethical obligation.

JIBC - Justice Institute of British Columbia Practice Test