LE Code of ethics

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Every officer I have known has subscribed to this code. Unfortunately, a few have not. Those that violate this code do not last long.





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Law Enforcement Code of Ethics
IACP
As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve the community; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality and justice.
I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all and will behave in a manner that does not bring discredit to me or to my agency. I will maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed both in my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the law and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.
I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, political beliefs, aspirations, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.
I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service. I will never engage in acts of corruption or bribery, nor will I condone such acts by other police officers. I will cooperate with all legally authorized agencies and their representatives in the pursuit of justice.
I know that I alone am responsible for my own standard of professional performance and will take every reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve my level of knowledge and competence.
I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession . . . law enforcement.


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How many on this forum can TRUTHFULLY say the same?

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From my limited experience, I have found that given the chance most LEOs are decent people, of course there are exceptions, but such is life. Like with computer code, garbage in, garbage out works with LEOs I believe.

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sv_libertarian wrote:

From my limited experience, I have found that given the chance most LEOs are decent people, of course there are exceptions, but such is life. Like with computer code, garbage in, garbage out works with LEOs I believe.

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For the most part they are decent people, you also will find that you will get the same respect back that you give them (most of the time), treat them poorly and disrespectfully, and you can expect to be treated in the same manner.

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One of the reasons that Concealed carry was taken out of the hands of the Police was exactly the arbitrary and ham handed nature of weapons permits allocationto persons of good character by the police. Bribery, extortion, racism, political payoffs for the police favor to obtain a permitdrove the citizens to take this simple Right out of the hands of the police and put it back into the hands of the People with the Preemption Law. I won't even go into examples like the boy who was kicked to death on Fat Tuesday while the police watched. I am 48 and have had much the same experience with police as the others in this list have expounded and you are talking to a group of A+ certified good guys with clean records (due to weapon permit). I teach weapons training and can't imagine teaching a class on self-defense without covering a"Dealing with Police" section.

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I agree there have been a lot of issues with corruption (still are, look at Lynwood) but I also believe that there is more awareness of it in some areas. I think Seattle has a long way to go with being accountable, while Olympia employs an independent police auditor, who answers to the City Council. Personally I would love to see citizen review boards and indpendent auditors working together. But the more accountable an agency is held, and the more willing that agency is to be accountable, the better things are for the citizens.

When I lived in San Diego, the Harbor Police were the biggest bunch of jerk offs, and other agencies would be the first to agree, but they were tolerated by the majority of the people, and those of us in regular contact with them were already demonized enough for being live aboard boaters in a free anchorage (long, long story. Google "A-8 anchorage San Diego" and then PM me for a dose of reality) but San Diego is a pretty f----d up place anyway...

For the most part though, I have found cops can be good people if given the chance. Of course I have found the other way too. My typical reaction though when I am pissed off, is to simply go to the top. Sooner or later in most cases shit rolls down hill, and I can make myself annoying enough (another funny SD story involving my anchor, Vessel Assist, a sharp knife and the San Diego Harbor Police Dive Team) to get things done. Once they know you will not take being messed with kindly, and have the stones to stand up, I believe again, most will back down. Of course being white probably helps, I dunno. Of course there are even deeper exceptions to this, but I have (fortunately) not encountered them.

The more aware and proactive a community is, I believe the police are more accountable and reasonable. I have seen it from several different angles. Oak Harbor, Seattle, Olympia, San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista to name the high points of any dealings with local LEOs (damn I hate SoCal...)

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Frankly, citing from the IACP doesn't give me any significant warmness. The IACP is one of the most anti-gun organizations in the cop world today. They also suffer from internal rot.

Hell, I'm bacon bits and I don't like the cabal they are (which means I can never be political enough to be a chief of at the echelons above reality).

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openryan wrote:

sv_libertarian wrote:

From my limited experience, I have found that given the chance most LEOs are decent people, of course there are exceptions, but such is life. Like with computer code, garbage in, garbage out works with LEOs I believe.

Click to expand...

For the most part they are decent people, you also will find that you will get the same respect back that you give them (most of the time), treat them poorly and disrespectfully, and you can expect to be treated in the same manner.

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Those are two of the most insightful and pertinent comments I have heard in years. I am going to save them so I can quote them later.

No one is perfect

Society as a whole dislikes law enforcement unless it directly "Helps" them. Meaning, they hate us until they need us, then they hate again. Its a fine line that LE has to follow and its is always up to interpetation. Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need but are always ready to prosecute us when we even wavier close to the line. Being a Police officer is a double edged sword. Police Officers are not perfect, NO ONE IS PERFECT, we do a job to the best of our ablility, we give OUR 110%, not yours. The LE code of ethics is guideline to try to live by, Even the Pope can not follow all the rules and guidelines set forth by God.
In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.
In closing, do not judge them until you have done their job, lived their lives, and seen what they have seen...mistakes are made by everyone, EVEN YOU!!!!!!

Realist0511 said:

Society as a whole dislikes law enforcement unless it directly "Helps" them. Meaning, they hate us until they need us, then they hate again. Its a fine line that LE has to follow and its is always up to interpetation. Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need but are always ready to prosecute us when we even wavier close to the line. Being a Police officer is a double edged sword. Police Officers are not perfect, NO ONE IS PERFECT, we do a job to the best of our ablility, we give OUR 110%, not yours. The LE code of ethics is guideline to try to live by, Even the Pope can not follow all the rules and guidelines set forth by God.
In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.
In closing, do not judge them until you have done their job, lived their lives, and seen what they have seen...mistakes are made by everyone, EVEN YOU!!!!!!

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I agree with a lot of what your saying. The biggest thing is there needs to stop being "sides". Everyone needs to step in other people shoes, see what each person deals with. Work on common grounds. There is a small group of hard core criminals that cause 90% of the problems out there. Most people, including most (but not all) LE are good people.

If power and money corrupt, then police are less likely than gang members to remain ethical.

Realist0511 said:

Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need

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Only the stupid members of society look toward cops for protection. The rest realize there is no legal obligation for police to protect any individual member of society. At those times when a cop does want to protect, they usually arrive too late (in most cases).

Dial 911 and Die.

Trigger Dr said:

Every officer I have known has subscribed to this code. Unfortunately, a few have not. Those that violate this code do not last long.

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Surely, you jest? How many times have we seen police officers commit heinous acts of brutality, up to and including the MURDER of citizens, only to suffer the "penalty" of being suspended a few weeks without receiving money that was stolen from those same citizens?

Trigger Dr said:

Every officer I have known has subscribed to this code. Unfortunately, a few have not. Those that violate this code do not last long.

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Yeah, most of the bad apples last a short time.

How long till full retirement? 20 years? 25 years?

Yeah, about that long. Sure is short.

Realist0511 said:

In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.

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What a load of bull****.

1. Police officers are not even near the top of the list in terms of occupational mortality. Fishermen, loggers, and pizza delivery boys all die "in the line of duty" at higher rates. At least they are engaged in productive commerce, providing a product/service that people actually want to purchase without having a gun put to their head and their money extorted.

2. Even if police officers do have a "dangerous" job, so what? There is no draft for police officers in this country. Every single one is a volunteer, who presumably is paid to take certain risks in the protection of life, liberty and property. They receive plenty of remuneration, in addition to various perks and benefits.

3. Contrary to statist belief, your profession is not a thin blue line protecting us mere serfs from hordes of barbarians at the gates. Hobbes was wrong; most people are basically good, and civilization as we know it would not end without government enforcers to "protect" us. Civilized society existed long before your occupation, and will exist long after you are gone. Frankly, I'd rather take my chances against the private-sector criminals, as it is possible to resist them when they violate my rights to life, liberty and property without running the risk of soaking up a government-sanctioned bullet (or dozens).

4. If you really want to make yourself useful, stop enforcing "laws" and start keeping the peace. Theoretically, that's what I am forced to pay you for.

Realist0511 said:

Society as a whole dislikes law enforcement unless it directly "Helps" them. Meaning, they hate us until they need us, then they hate again. Its a fine line that LE has to follow and its is always up to interpetation. Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need but are always ready to prosecute us when we even wavier close to the line. Being a Police officer is a double edged sword. Police Officers are not perfect, NO ONE IS PERFECT, we do a job to the best of our ablility, we give OUR 110%, not yours. The LE code of ethics is guideline to try to live by, Even the Pope can not follow all the rules and guidelines set forth by God.
In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.
In closing, do not judge them until you have done their job, lived their lives, and seen what they have seen...mistakes are made by everyone, EVEN YOU!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Hey, I've seen that movie.



BTW a cops job is NOT dangerous. Try a real dangerous job, like fishing, logging, power worker, etc. Police have it easy, and safe.

Realist0511 said:

Society as a whole dislikes law enforcement unless it directly "Helps" them. Meaning, they hate us until they need us, then they hate again. Its a fine line that LE has to follow and its is always up to interpetation. Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need but are always ready to prosecute us when we even wavier close to the line. Being a Police officer is a double edged sword. Police Officers are not perfect, NO ONE IS PERFECT, we do a job to the best of our ablility, we give OUR 110%, not yours. The LE code of ethics is guideline to try to live by, Even the Pope can not follow all the rules and guidelines set forth by God.
In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.
In closing, do not judge them until you have done their job, lived their lives, and seen what they have seen...mistakes are made by everyone, EVEN YOU!!!!!!

Click to expand...

I also call BS.

Society has a problem with tyrants, thugs, and the Thin Blue Line.

And I'll give them a beak when they stop f*cking with my 1st Amendment Right. Until then they can bite me.

There are points on all sides of this debate. Police do need accountability just like any part of government and in many places there isn't enough. Are all the actions that officers take correct, no. Does there need to be on going training of the law(s), yes. Are there some bad officers out there, yes (as there are in any profession).

Are there some laws that are over reaching, yes. That is why we need people hold law makers accountable as well. Change laws that are unjust.

Is there a need for LE, yes. While the concept of the "thin blue line" might be a bit pompous on some fronts, non officers should see what they deal with. There are parts of society that most don't see, that are dangerous and disturbing (and LE is often in the top 10 most dangerous jobs). Am I saying that all citizens shouldn't be able to protect themselves, of course not; that's a large part of the fight for gun rights and I %100 believe in that. I hope one day more people carry if they so choose (OC OR CC) and it doesn't cause alarm with anyone. However not everyone is able or (sometimes willing) to fight for themselves and there should others out there helping, this includes LE but is not exclusive (society as a whole should be helping each other, protecting each other)

Are there a majority of LE that are the same as you, yes. Many have families they want to go home to. Are many good people, yes. Do they care about people and society, yes.
Sometimes that gets lost with some officers and there needs to be training and accountability to remind them what there job really is and who they serve. On the flip side, non LE should try to understand what LE can and can not do, what laws is the state telling them to follow, ect.

I don't it's fair to lump everyone in group together and label them. There are some of those who fight against gun rights, they often times label anyone who has a gun as "a nut", "dangerous", ect and of course thats wrong and not correct on many fronts! I would hope the courtesy of not putting blanket labels on a group would go to everyone.

Realist0511 said:

Society as a whole dislikes law enforcement unless it directly "Helps" them. Meaning, they hate us until they need us, then they hate again. Its a fine line that LE has to follow and its is always up to interpetation. Society looks to us to protect them in there time of need but are always ready to prosecute us when we even wavier close to the line. Being a Police officer is a double edged sword. Police Officers are not perfect, NO ONE IS PERFECT, we do a job to the best of our ablility, we give OUR 110%, not yours. The LE code of ethics is guideline to try to live by, Even the Pope can not follow all the rules and guidelines set forth by God.
In closing, Give them a break, they put themselves in harms way everyday for the same society that dislikes them. As you sleep warm and comfortable in your bed, know we are out there on the streets, away from our loved ones, protecting you with our lives.
In closing, do not judge them until you have done their job, lived their lives, and seen what they have seen...mistakes are made by everyone, EVEN YOU!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Because of the way you wrote this, I am going to assume you are in LE? Correct? Would you comment on the following.

It has been my experience (over 60+ years) that is the administration (Sheriff, COP, Mayor etc) respects the citizens and does not consider themselves "the elite" but equals and one with the citizens, there is very little or no citizen/police conflict. However, if the administration is power hungry, crooked and elitist, the leo on the street will be more likely to be so too.

I have seen this in business too, honest leader, honest company....

hermannr said:

Because of the way you wrote this, I am going to assume you are in LE? Correct? Would you comment on the following.

It has been my experience (over 60+ years) that is the administration (Sheriff, COP, Mayor etc) respects the citizens and does not consider themselves "the elite" but equals and one with the citizens, there is very little or no citizen/police conflict. However, if the administration is power hungry, crooked and elitist, the leo on the street will be more likely to be so too.

I have seen this in business too, honest leader, honest company....

Click to expand...

In regards to the first sentence, I am not a police officer. I am a parole officer (although WA has a different name for it). My job creates a unique view point in regards to police and the interactions with people (at least those I supervise, only felons). My job is a mix between LE and social work. I have seen interactions where officers were not %100 professional and that is disturbing and I can see how the trust between LE and the public is leading to crime and anger, ect. On the flip side I see where an incident has occurred where the person who was arrested claims brutality, I read the reports (including independent witnesses), talk with witnesses and officers and i see (at least in my opinion) that the arrested person was wrong and deserved to be arrested and while force was used it appeared justified.

If I see things being done by the police or any LE agency I always advise the people who to contact to make a report. I will advise my "higher ups" and I try and keep tabs on what is found out.

As far as the second part of your post I'm not quite sure I %100 understand. If I'm reading it right then yes, if the "higher ups" in power are honest, apart of the community, ect then there behavior and attitudes do often trickle down to the "front line" staff.

I don't know if my answers are very good but it's hard to explain things like this in a short post. If you ever want to talk/debate/discuss, ect this topic I'd be more then happy to. Even meet for coffee.

Can I ask you a question? Does my posting on this matter make you automatically think I'm "bad" or "corrupt"? I hope not. I do care about my community. I take my job seriously in regards to public safety and trying to help those I supervise. I have seen that at least %90 of those I supervise just made a stupid choice or had untreated mental health issues or bad drug/alcohol issues and I try many avenues in helping them. I don't enjoy having to arrest people if it comes to it (unless it's something against a child or vulnerable adult, then I feel very justified, you don't hurt kids) and I try everything I can before I make that choice.

Well, this is quite of topic in regards to why I joined these boards. I do support open carry and people asserting there rights to do so and to do so free from harassment by the government and the public. I hope that counts for something.

I have had way too many bad experiances with law enforcement to ever trust a Cop just because he is a Cop. Respect is earned not given or demanded.