CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING

Basic Course
Workbook Series
Student Materials
Learning Domain 00
Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer
Version 1.2

THE MISSION OF THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING IS TO CONTINUALLY
ENHANCE THE PROFESSIONALISM OF CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SERVING ITS COMMUNITIES
 Basic Course Workbook Series
Student Materials
Learning Domain 00
Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer
Version 1.2

© Copyright 2007
California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
All rights reserved.

Published 2007
Workbook Correction January 14, 2009
Workbook Revised August 2022

This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means
electronic or mechanical or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or
hereafter invented, without prior written permission of the California Commission on Peace
Officer Standards and Training, with the following exception:

California law enforcement or dispatch agencies in the POST program, POST-certified

training presenters, and presenters and students of the California basic course instructional
system are allowed to copy this publication for non-commercial use.

All other individuals, private businesses and corporations, public and private agencies and
colleges, professional associations, and non-POST law enforcement agencies in-state or out-of-
state may purchase copies of this publication, at cost, from POST as listed below:

From POST’s Web Site:

www.post.ca.gov
Go to Ordering Student Workbooks
 COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING

COMMISSIONERS

Joyce Dudley – Chair District Attorney

Santa Barbara County

Rick Braziel – Vice Chair Educator

Humboldt State University

Alan Barcelona Special Agent

California Department of Justice

Ingrid Braun Sheriff-Coroner

Mono County Sheriff’s Department

Barry Donelan Sergeant

Oakland Police Department

Kelly Gordon Chief

Monterey Park Police Department

P. Lamont Ewell Public Member

Geoff Long Public Member

Tina Nieto Chief

Marina Police Department

James O’Rourke Sergeant

California Highway Patrol

John Marsh Chief

Representing Rob Bonta Director of Division of Law Enforcement
Attorney General
Ex-Officio Member
 THE ACADEMY TRAINING MISSION

The primary mission of basic training is to prepare students mentally, morally, and physically to
advance into a field training program, assume the responsibilities, and execute the duties of a
peace officer in society.
 FOREWORD

The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training sincerely appreciates the
efforts of the many curriculum consultants, academy instructors, directors and coordinators who
contributed to the development of this workbook. We must also thank the California law
enforcement agency executives who allowed their personnel to participate in the development of
these training materials.

This student workbook is part of the POST Basic Course Training System. The workbook
component of this system provides a self-study document for every learning domain in the Basic
Course. Each workbook is intended to be a supplement to, not a substitute for, classroom
instruction. The objective of the system is to improve academy student learning and information
retention and ultimately contribute to you becoming a peace officer committed to safety, and to
the communities you will serve.

The content of each workbook is organized into sequenced learning modules to meet
requirements as prescribed both by California law and the POST Training and Testing
Specifications for the Basic Course.

It is our hope that the collective wisdom and experience of all who contributed to this workbook
will help you, the student, to successfully complete the Basic Course and to enjoy a safe and
rewarding career as a peace officer.

MANUEL ALVAREZ, Jr.

Executive Director
 LD 00: Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer
Table of Contents

Topic See Page

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-1
The Exemplary Peace Officer (EPO) 1-2
Policing Is Not Merely a Job 1-4
What Peace Officers Really Do 1-6

Chapter 2: The Academy Experience 2-1

Leadership and Personal Responsibility 2-2
The Language of Policing 2-4
Techniques That Work 2-5
The Policing Mission 2-8

Chapter 3: Ethics and Values 3-1

What is Ethics? 3-2
The Six Pillars of Character 3-4
Government Ethics Code and the Five Principles of 3-6
Public Service Ethics

Chapter 4: Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-1

Good Character 4-2
Proficiency 4-8
Professionalism 4-10
Leadership 4-12

Chapter 5: Aspects of an Exemplary Decision 5-1

The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary 5-2

Chapter 6: Looking Beyond the Academy 6-1

Formal and Informal Education 6-1

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ii LD 00: Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer

 Chapter 1

An Introduction to Peace Officer Training

Congratulations! It’s a major accomplishment to begin training to become a career peace

officer. You and your family have every reason to be proud of your decision
to join a profession dedicated to serving others.

We hope you are looking forward to and are prepared for an intense and
challenging experience. Academy training will demand your full
commitment and it will continually test your intelligence and character. If
you handle these tests well, you will become a professional peace officer
with a promising future.

LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-1

The Exemplary Peace Officer (EPO)

No man ever reached to excellence in any art or profession without

having passed through the slow and painful process of study and
preparation.

— Homer
Ancient Greek writer and poet

Achieving excellence in any endeavor is both a goal and reward. People

of character cannot be comfortable with anything less. Those who attain
it need little more.

Throughout your training and career, an army of instructors, field trainers,

supervisors, and managers will strive to help you reach your highest
professional potential. This team is dedicated to helping you develop the
intellectual, emotional, and physical qualities to make you an Exemplary
Peace Officer (EPO).

An EPO is a The central mission of your training is to strengthen the four essential
model or ideal characteristics of an exemplary peace officer:
example of
policing 1. Good character
excellence
2. Proficiency

3. Professionalism

4. Leadership

Continued on next page

1-2 LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training

The Exemplary Peace Officer (EPO), Continued

Essential We will explore these four aspects of policing excellence later in this
characteristics publication. For now, an overview of the essential definitions should be
sufficient.

1. Good character

Ethical and moral strength demonstrated by six virtues: trustworthiness,

respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship.

2. Proficiency

A high level of competence demonstrated by the knowledge, skills,

abilities, and judgment necessary for the exemplary performance of all
aspects of the policing mission.

3. Professionalism

Professionalism is demonstrated by the pursuit of the policing mission

with honor, courage, composure, competence, and respect in a manner
that upholds the highest standards of policing ethics, displays a
commitment to continual self-improvement, and generates public trust,
respect, and confidence.

4. Leadership

Demonstrated by the ability to improve a situation or achieve a socially

positive change by influencing the way others think and act and by the
ability to take command of a situation.

LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-3

Policing Is Not Merely a Job

There is a life that is worth living – the honest life, the useful life, the
unselfish life, cleansed by devotion to an ideal. There is a battle worth
fighting now as it was worth fighting then, and that is the battle for
justice and equality.

— Henry Van Dyke

American poet
1852-1933

Throughout your training you will be encouraged to think of policing as much

more than a job with good pay and great benefits. Yes, the compensation,
work schedules, opportunities for promotion, and generous medical and
retirement benefits are very attractive, but even at its best policing can be an
unusually tough job.

We encourage you to think of policing not as a job but in grander terms as a

lifetime career in meaningful public service. Policing is a profession with
high expectations and high rewards that have nothing to do with your salary
and benefits.

The benefits: My greatest ambition is to be held in high esteem by my fellow men and
growth and to be truly worthy of their esteem.
fulfillment
— Abraham Lincoln
(paraphrased)

Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our
souls are hungry for meaning for the sense that we have figured out how
to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little
bit different for our having passed through it.

— Harold Kushner
American rabbi and writer

Continued on next page

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Policing Is Not Merely a Job, Continued

The benefits: If you approach policing as a dedicated professional, you will have ahead of
growth and you endless opportunities for personal growth and a sense of pride and
fulfillment fulfillment that will come from know what you do is meaningful and
(continued) important.

You also will make lasting and deep friendships and experience the pleasure
that comes from working with a team of professionals with shared values and
objectives.

Most of all, you will earn the admiration and gratitude of fair-minded
people, the pride of family and friends and the supreme satisfaction of
knowing you are leading a worthy and honorable life that really matters.

The investment As you might expect, these benefits will not come without personal
investment. Professional policing requires hard work and dedication. It
requires unusual self-control and the ability to keep a positive attitude despite
occasional frustration with shortcomings of individuals and the criminal
justice system.

During your career you will probably endure unfair criticism and personal
attacks from people who want to discredit you and your agency. There will be
moments when you wonder whether it’s worth it.

These doubts, however, will dissolve if you find it gratifying knowing that
when you do your job well you will make people’s lives better every single
day by enhancing the quality of life in your community and creating an
environment where people feel safe, secure, and well-protected.

LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-5

What Peace Officers Really Do

Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.

— Jack Welch
Former chairman, General Electric

To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing

something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and
virtue of mankind – this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and
surely it is a good haven to sail for.

— Henry Van Dyke

American clergyman, educator and author
1852-1933

Everyone enters Academy training with a preconception of what it will be like

to be a cop. Unfortunately, most of these preconceptions are distorted by
movie and TV stereotypes of nonstop action, high-speed chases, shoot-outs,
fist fights, and roughing up bad guys.

Many popular films feature “one-man-army” avengers who take on incredible

odds without back-up; “rules-are-made-to-be-broken” rebels who flout laws
and disobey orders and “make-my-day” intimidators who use threats and
violence as their primary interviewing tools.

Discipline and The truth is that professional policing requires much more discipline and a
respect for the much higher level of respect for the limits and constraints of the law than
law are essential these depictions suggest. Punishing bad guys and avenging innocent victims
is not part of the policing function. That responsibility is left to the courts.

Policing professionals must never forget that their powers to stop,

interrogate, arrest and use force are created and confined by the law.
When a peace officer disregards the law, even with noble intentions, public
confidence is undermined and the officer is subject to agency discipline and
legal action.

Continued on next page

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What Peace Officers Really Do, Continued

Discipline and The impulsiveness, insubordination, and emotional self-indulgence exhibited

respect for the by many movie cops will not contribute to a successful career in real life.
law are essential There is no room in modern policing for irresponsible or undisciplined
(continued) individuals. In fact, most of these media heroes would be fired or imprisoned.

In the policing profession, exemplary peace officers understand reality

and live up to their oaths and their duty to operate within the law; they
respect the Constitutional and human rights of all people.

Peace officers It’s important that you replace any fantasies of policies with a realistic picture
do more than of what you will be doing once you put on your uniform and badge.
enforce laws
Professional policing involves much more than law enforcement. Yes,
interviewing witness and interrogating suspects, executing search warrants,
making arrests, and testifying in court will be part of your responsibilities.
And you must be fit and well-trained so you can effectively deal with
situations that require physical interaction and the use of weapons. But as
important as these aspects of policing are, law enforcement represents only a
fraction of what you will do. In fact, much of your time will be spent
helping people in other ways, including resolving disputes, dispensing
advice, taking reports, regulating crowds and traffic, and aiding people in
danger or distress.

Think about it: Why do you want to become a peace officer? Is your goal to help people?
To make good money? To catch criminals? People who live the happiest,
most fulfilling lives have a clear idea of their purpose in life. Is it just to have
as much pleasure as you can or acquire as many things as you can? Or do you
have grander goals? For those who seek to live a life of meaning, policing
offers extraordinary opportunities. One way to understand your purpose is to
think about what you would like people to say about after you die. Then live
your life so you earn that eulogy.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-7

What Peace Officers Really Do, Continued

Think about it: You will find your life more rewarding if you identify and nurture deeper
(continued) personal ambitions that define your purpose in terms of your mission as a
peace officer. Take a moment to write down your answers to these questions:

• What gives my life meaning?

• How would I like the value of my days on earth to be measured?

• How does my role as a peace officer fit in?

• What are my career and life objectives? What will success look like in 5,
10 or 20 years?

The role of the You’ve notice by now that we use the term “peace officer” rather than “law
modern peace enforcement officer.” This is because peace officer is a broader concept that
officer more accurately describes the true role of today’s policing professionals.

Studies conducted from 1979 to 2006 by the California Commission on Peace

Officer Standards and Training (POST) provide a good picture of what entry-
level patrol officers and deputies actually do. The reports identified the
following job functions:

• Advising and assisting the public

• Working with the community to reduce crime and address community

concerns

• Preparing for and presenting legal testimony

• Apprehending and arresting suspects

• Detecting and investigating crimes

• Managing traffic

Continued on next page

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What Peace Officers Really Do, Continued

The role of the • Documenting investigations, enforcement actions, and other patrol
modern peace contacts
officer
(continued) • Maintaining order in the community

• Providing emergency assistance to the public

• Maintaining and improving job readiness

• Handling complaints and incidents

• Enhancing police-community relations

• Serving the public in a consistent, professional, and lawful manner

Later in this publication, as well as at the Academy, you will learn more about
the policing mission and how it defines your role and responsibilities, and
how it will guide your decisions as a peace officer.

LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training 1-9

What Peace Officers Really Do, Continued

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1-10 LD 00: Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Peace Officer Training

 Chapter 2

The Academy Experience

Life is a place of service, and in that service one has to suffer a great
deal that is hard to bear, but more often to experience a great of joy.
But that joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service
and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal
happiness.

— Leo Tolstoy
Russian novelist
1828-1910

The Academy is a school for professionals, and you must be a serious and
conscientious student if you are to succeed. Everything you will be taught
will be relevant to your work and throughout your career. In fact, much of
what you learn at the Academy can profoundly affect lives, including your
own.

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-1

Leadership and Personal Responsibility

Nine-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit
of making excuses.

— George Washington Carver

American scientist
1864-1943

You will recall that leadership is one of the four critical qualities possessed by
an exemplary peace officer. At the Academy you will have many
opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership skills.

Take charge of One aspect of leadership is an ability to take charge of a situation and be
your training responsible for making things better. Few settings provide the context to
experience demonstrate and develop this ability than in the Academy. Leadership is
setting an example worth following.

If you view your upcoming training as the “situation” and your mastery of the
Academy curriculum as the successful outcome, you will see the opportunity
to use leadership principles to help accomplish your goal.

Be accountable Effective leaders don’t wait for the conditions of success; they create them.
You can do the same in the Academy if you accept the fact that you alone are
ultimately responsible for your education and professional development.

For example, you may find some segments of your training boring. Some
courses may seem too easy or others too hard. You may like some instructors
and not others. The crucial point is, regardless of your opinion of the quality
of any aspect of your training, you are required and expected to learn. Based
on the principles of leadership and personal responsibility, you will be held
accountable for acquiring the knowledge and skills you need to know.

This means if you are confused by the content or overwhelmed by the amount
of information you must learn, take charge of the situation and seek help in
understanding the materials and/or developing more effective study strategies.
If you are having difficulty mastering certain skills, practice until you are
proficient.

Continued on next page

2-2 LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience

Leadership and Personal Responsibility, Continued

Examples Example: Taking Charge of Your Education. Cadets Owens and

Ramirez are in a class on the laws of arrest and detention,
including the difference between “reasonable suspicion”
and “probable cause.”

Both cadets find the lectures boring and confusing. Cadet

Owens complaints about the poor instruction to fellow
cadets and says, “How am I ever going to learn this stuff if
this guy can’t teach?”

Cadet Ramirez seeks the help of others in class who seem

to understand the concept, does some extra reading on his
own and poses questions to the instructor.

- Which cadet is demonstrating leadership?

- Which cadet is likely to get the most out of the

Academy education?

- Which cadet is likely to be more successful in

policing?

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-3

The Language of Policing

You will learn many new things during your Academy and field training that
will help you become smarter, wiser, and more competent. You will also be
introduced to a new language of “police talk” filled with:

• Acronyms – a word formed from the initial letters of a series of words

(e.g., “GOA” for “gone on arrival” or “GTA” for “grand theft auto”)

• Jargon – specialized or technical language, including, code sections of

important laws (e.g., “211” for robbery)

• Legal Latin (e.g., “habeas corpus” – rights protecting citizens against

illegal imprisonment)

• Slang – an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed of invented words

(e.g., “blown away” for killed by a shooting or “drop a dime” referring to
an informer betraying someone with a call to the authorities)

Don’t be intimidated by any of this. It will soon become second nature.

2-4 LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience

Techniques That Work

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and
attended to with diligence.

— Abigail Adams
U.S. First Lady
1744-1818

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is

perilous.

— Confucius
Chinese philosopher
551 BC-479 BC

The best way to do well at the Academy is to be actively involved in your

education. In short, take your Academy training seriously. It’s not enough
just to pass tests and memorize facts.

You may feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of material you must learn
and you may struggle, with the concepts at first, so to take time to
“internalize” important information and techniques. Most cadets need to
review the material several times to gain competence and confidence.

Stay positive A person is generally about as happy as he is willing to be.

— Abraham Lincoln

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

— Buddhist proverb

You will get the most out of the Academy and your career if you maintain an
upbeat outlook on your life, your job, and society. If you approach life as a
cynic, your glass will never more than half full. If you look at your glass in
terms of your accomplishments and successes, it will always be at least half
full.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-5

Techniques That Work, Continued

Stay positive This will not be easy. By its nature, police work puts you in frequent contact
(continued) with dishonest, irresponsible, and disrespectful people. If you are not careful
you may begin to think lying and law-breaking are the norm and that no one
appreciates all you do as a public servant. This, of course, is untrue. You
must remind yourself that the vast majority of people are hard-working, honest
folks who need and appreciate your protection.

One way to fight cynicism is to regularly review your day and week and
identify the positive moments where you made a difference or someone
expressed gratitude. If you take pride in your work, you will not only be
successful, you will be happy.

Think about it: How to do well in the Academy

Prepare Read assigned materials, really think about the reflection
questions and highlight important points you want to
remember or questions you want to ask.
Participate Listen attentively, ask questions, volunteer answers, and
get involved in class discussions. There will be
opportunities for you to lead learning activities and
similar class processes. If you take advantage of these
opportunities, you will more rapidly develop leadership
skills.
Study and review No one can absorb the Academy’s materials without
diligent study. Use study groups to enhance retention.
Loop up words and terms you don’t understand.
Practice When possible, practice skills and techniques you have
learned. When you can’t practice, visualize doing so.

Continued on next page

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Techniques That Work, Continued

Balancing Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tarter
humility and sauce with you.
self-confidence
— Zig Zigler
Motivational speaker and author

Each person comes to the Academy with a different background. Experience

as a military police officer, correctional officer, or emergency medical
technician may give some cadets a head start. Some cadets will have martial
arts or marksmanship skills while the courage and coolness of others may
have been tested in combat. Finally some cadets will have superior academic
credentials.

Wherever you are in this mix, don’t get discouraged or intimidated. If you
have to make up ground, persistent effort and a positive attitude are often all
you need to catch up. On the other hand, if your experience or skills give you
an initial advantage, don’t get complacent or arrogant. There is still much to
learn – even in areas you think you know. Despite similarities and common
elements of previous experiences, policing is different from anything you’ve
done before.

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-7

The Policing Mission

To have a great purpose to work for, a purpose larger than ourselves, is

one of the secrets of making life significant, for then the meaning and
worth of the individual overflow his personal borders and survive his
death.

— Will Durant
Philosopher and historian
1885-1981

History of Full-time, professional policing is a relatively new idea. In 1829, Sir Robert
policing Peel established the first police force in London, England. Before that, law
enforcement functions were handled by the military.

Peel’s nine 1. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and
principles of disorder.
policing
2. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public
approval of police actions.

3. Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary

observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the
public.

4. The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes

proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.

5. Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion
but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.

6. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of

the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice,
and waning is insufficient.

Continued on next page

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The Policing Mission, Continued

Peel’s nine 7. Police, at all times should maintain a relationship with the public that
principles of gives reality to the tradition that the police are the public and the public are
policing the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to
(continued) give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in
the interests of community welfare and existence.

8. Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions and
never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.

9. The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the
visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.

From law In the past half century, the public’s expectations of police have expanded
enforcement considerably to include responsibilities that go considerably beyond “law
officer to peace enforcement.” Thus, today’s officers are often called peace officers rather
officer than law enforcement officers.

Four elements You should fully understand the scope of the modern policing mission prior to
of the modern beginning your Academy training. There are four major elements:
policing mission
1. Protect and serve the public

2. Enhance the quality of life

3. Generate and maintain public trust

4. Uphold individual liberties and Constitutional rights

Continued on next page

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The Policing Mission, Continued

Four elements Element Description

of the modern
1. Protect and serve the Enforce laws. Detain, question, write citations,
policing mission
public search, and arrest suspected violators of criminal
(continued)
laws, local ordinances, and traffic regulations.

Ensure public safety and protect life and

property. Protect, rescue, and safeguard human
life or property whenever they endangered by
criminal conduct, traffic accidents, natural
disasters, terrorist attacks, or other causes.

Preserve peace and public order. Control

crowds and handle public nuisances and
disturbances of the peace.
2. Enhance the quality Prevent crime. Perform community education,
of life problem-solving, and anti-gang/anti-drug
activities.

Reduce fear of crime. Foster an environment

where people feel free, safe, secured, and well-
protected, and confident in the ability of police
agencies to protect and serve them.

Solve community problems. In collaboration

with other agencies, seek and implement
solutions to community problems.
3. Generate and Generate and maintain public trust. Practice
maintain public trust and preserve professionalism and proficiency and
avoid any conduct that discredits you or your
agency.

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The Policing Mission, Continued

Four elements Element Description

of the modern
4. Uphold individual Uphold individual liberties and Constitutional
policing mission
liberties and rights. Protect Constitutional guaranteed
(continued)
Constitutional rights liberties regarding freedom of speech, assembly,
and religion; freedom from unreasonable arrest,
searches and seizures; and the rights to remain
silent, to an attorney, and to “due process” of law.

Respect human rights and dignity.

Demonstrate the highest respect for human rights
and dignity by treating all people with respect,
and by violating privacy and using force only
when reasonable and to the extent necessary to
accomplish a proper policing purpose.

The peace Without commonly shared and widely entrenched moral values and
officer’s role in obligations, neither the law nor democratic government will function
a democratic property.
society
— Vaclav Havel
Playwright, former president
of the Czech Republic

At the Academy, you will be introduced to values such as justice and respect
for the law that are central to professional policing. Although these values
underlie the law enforcement function of policing, you will also learn that the
process of enforcing laws is itself governed by laws that reflect a firm
commitment to other American values expressed in the United States
Constitution and the Bill of Rights relating to a free, fair, and open society.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-11

The Policing Mission, Continued

Importance of What makes this country so extraordinary is that is founded on democratic

the Constitution values including a commitment to truth, justice, liberty, and skepticism of
and the Bill of government power.
Rights
As a peace officer you will be entrusted with the awesome responsibility of
assuring that these values are preserved and protected. Thus, American peace
officers are responsible for protected the rights of all people. This includes
not only victims and bystanders, but suspects and perpetrators.

Unfortunately, some law-enforcement officers undervalue this obligation.

Consequently, they believe Constitutional limits on police power are
unnecessary and unwise and barriers that coddle criminals and handcuff cops.
This view is advocated by people who don’t appreciate the realities of crime.
In effect, they see the Constitution as an obstacle and the courts as unwitting
allies to lawbreakers.

These criticism run counter to the philosophy of government that America has
contributed to the world – the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the carefully
crafted system of checks and balances designed to preserve individual liberty
within a society based on the rule of law.

Though honoring individual rights in certain instances might be

contrary to your intuition or instincts, the laws and values that underlie
them are non-negotiable standards of modern policing. Your
acceptance of them is not optional.

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The Policing Mission, Continued

Potential As a peace officer, you may run into situations where your personal beliefs
conflicts conflict with your professional duties. For example, your stands on abortion,
between civil rights, or political protests may conflict with your duty to enforce laws
professional and protect people who are doing things you find offensive.
and personal
values
Your success in policing depends on your ability to do your duty
regardless of your personal beliefs.

Failure to understand this can lead to serious consequences for you, your
agency, and your profession.

Examples Example: Officer Owens and Ramirez disagree strongly on the issue
of abortion. Both are called to respond to an anti-abortion
demonstration in front of a medical facility known to
perform legal abortions. So long as the demonstration is
peaceful and lawful, both officers must protect the people
within the building as well as the demonstrators’ freedom
of speech.

Example: Officer Mason believes marijuana should be legalized.

During an investigation of a domestic disturbance, he finds
five joints of marijuana. The owner urges the officer not to
report this. He says that a possession charge will get him
fired. The officer has a legal and moral duty to seize the
drugs and make the arrest. The legalization of marijuana is
an issue for the legislature, not an individual police officer.

LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience 2-13

The Policing Mission, Continued

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2-14 LD 00: Chapter 2 – The Academy Experience

 Chapter 3

Ethics and Values

What distinguishes humankind from all other living things is our sense
of right and wrong based on ethical concerns and sensibilities. Without
ethics we would have no conscience or moral compass. Without ethics
we could not treasure such virtues as truth, justice, compassion,
responsibility, and respect, nor could we condemn their opposites.

During your training you will hear many references to ethics. This attention
is nor merely academic. Ethics is central to everyday policing. In fact,
according to The International Association of Chiefs of Police, one of the
greatest challenges facing modern policing agencies is “establishing and
maintaining higher ethical standards for police personnel.”

The following introduction will help you better understand the ethical
dimension of the field you are about to enter.

LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values 3-1

What is Ethics?

Ethics is a branch of philosophy concerning human conduct. It identifies

standards of duty and virtue that define what is morally right, good, and
proper, and guides the conduct of good people.

Most importantly, remember that ethics is a prescription, not a description.

This means ethics directs us and prescribes how we should behave. It is a
common mistake to use the term ethics as merely a description of the way
people do behave. Ethics is not about the way things are; it’s about the way
they ought to be.

Failure to realize that ethics refers to universal standards of right and wrong
leads some people to talk about “personal ethics,” “legal ethics”, or “political
ethics” as if the requirements of ethics vary from person to person and job to
job.

Ethics refers to A philosophy known as “ethical relativism” holds that there are no objective
universal standards of right or wrong, just personal opinions and social customs. To a
truths, not complete relativist, there is no basis for distinguishing between Osama Bin
personal Laden and Mother Teresa since both lived up to their own standards of good
opinions and evil. By this reasoning, we cannot draw a defensible moral distinction
between violent gang members and any other group.

The more dominant view of ethics rests on the conviction that there are certain
universal truths, moral standards of right and wrong that govern the behavior
of all people in all settings.

The policing profession rejects ethical relativism in favor of the universal

view. To facilitate an ongoing conversation about ethics, this publication and
other EPO materials employ a common language framework of universal
values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship.

Continued on next page

3-2 LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values

What is Ethics?, Continued

The ethical The ethical world of the peace officer is complex.

world of the
peace officer In addition to the moral obligation to be a person of character governed by the
universal ethical duties embodied in the Six Pillars of Character, a peace
officer is subject to professional ethical standards. These include what we
call the Five Principles of Public Service Ethics as well as government ethics
laws that apply to all public employees and more specific codes that apply
only to peace officers.

Universal Ethics
Six Pillars
of Character

The Ethical
World of
Peace Officers

Government
Policing Codes Ethics Codes
of Conduct And the Five
Principles of Public
Service Ethics

LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values 3-3

The Six Pillars of Character

A national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization called the Joseph and Edna

Josephson Institute of Ethics identified six core ethical values that have been
widely accepted by educational, governmental, and policing institutions as
ethical principles that apply to all people. Called the “Six Pillars of
Character,” these values are the foundation of a national character education
initiative called Character Counts!. The Six Pillars, as summarized below,
are the values framework for your Academic training and your professional
life beyond.

Pillar Description
Trustworthiness Trustworthiness embodies four ethical obligations
essential to personal credibility and public trust:
integrity (consistency between beliefs, words, and
actions), honesty (truthfulness, sincerity, and candor),
promise-keeping, and loyalty.
Respect Respect refers to the moral duty to treat all people
with dignity regardless of what you think of them
personally. There are two aspects to respect: verbal
and physical. Respect is demonstrated by courtesy and
professionalism. It is disrespectful and unprofessional
to use profanity, to make racial, ethnic or gender slurs,
to make sexual comments, or engage in other conduct
that could reasonably be construed as rude, crude,
tasteless, humiliating, or abusive. The ethical principal
of respect also limits the use of physical force.
Responsibility Responsibility means being personally accountable
for our choices and executing duties with
professionalism and proficiency. It also means
recognizing that our actions matter and we are morally
on the hook for the consequences.
Fairness Fairness is treating people equally; being consistent,
being open-minded, giving people an opportunity to
respond to accusations, and making decisions on the
merits while avoiding favoritism, bias, or prejudice.

Continued on next page

3-4 LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values

The Six Pillars of Character, Continued

Pillar Description
Caring Caring is the heart of ethics, and ethical decisions-
making. It is scarcely possible to be truly ethical and
yet unconcerned with the welfare of others. That is
because ethics is ultimately about good relations with
other people. Caring is being kind, compassionate,
empathetic, charitable, and forgiving.
Citizenship Citizenship as an ethical value does not refer to one’s
residence or status in one country or another. Rather, it
speaks to one’s duty to be a constructive, law-abiding,
member of the community who honors the rule of law,
and respects lawful authority, and abides by the letter
and spirit of the law. Being a good citizen also involves
meeting civic responsibilities by voting and
participating in the processes of democracy. Good
citizens also demonstrate a concern for the well-being
of their neighbors and help protect the environment for
future generations.

LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values 3-5

Government Ethics Codes and the Five Principles of
Public Service Ethics

As public employees, peace officers are bound by a broad set of ethical

principles providing an over arching set of standards that require public
servants to use the governmental authority in a manner that produces and
preserves public trust.

Effective policing depends on the public’s cooperation and lawfulness. When

their trust erodes, their willingness to assist peace officers or comply with the
law deteriorates. In an environment of mistrust, the peace officer’s job is
much more difficult.

If policing functions are not performed ethically, there will be no public trust.
Therefore, conduct deemed to be unethical will be grounds for discipline,
including termination.

Because public servants have a special responsibility to generate and preserve

public trust, they must abide by the complex state and local government
ethics codes governing such issues as conflicts of interest, moonlighting, and
the acceptance of gratuities.

The Five To prevent corruption, waste, and abuse of authority, every state and many
Principles of local government entities have adopted laws that apply to public employees,
Public Service including peace officers. In general these laws:
Ethics
• Prohibit using public office for private gain

• Define and regulate conflicts of interest

• Require openness and accountability

• Demand that public employees abide by the spirit as well as the letter of
the law

• Require public employees to avoid even the appearance of impropriety

Continued on next page

3-6 LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values

Government Ethics Codes and the Five Principles of
Public Service Ethics, Continued

The Five Your agency has access to legal counsel to help you understand the details of
Principles of the laws that apply to you. Don’t hesitate to seek advice whenever you face a
Public Service choice that might be governed by these laws. Once you understand the basic
Ethics philosophy of the Five Principles of Public Service Ethics, you will be better
(continued) able to avoid legal entanglements.

Principles Description
1. Public Interest Public office is to be used only to advance public
interest, not personal gain. These rules include
limitation on accepting gifts, gratuities, and favors
(including special discounts), and using public property
for personal purposes.
2. Objective Public employees must exercise objective judgment and
Judgment act in the best interest of the public. Decisions are to be
made on the merits, free of partiality or prejudice, and
unimpeded by conflicts of interest. Detailed laws
require public servants to identify and avoid conflicts of
interest that could impede their objective judgment
(including rules governing outside employment).
3. Accountability Government is to be conducted openly, efficiently,
equitably, and honorably so the public can make
informed judgments and hold public officials
accountable. The Brady Rule, created by the courts,
imposes special accountability standards requiring
agencies to make available to defense attorneys
information on an officer’s personnel file that may bear
on honesty and integrity.
4. Democracy Public employees are required to honor the spirit as
well as the letter of the law. Gamesmanship and
legalistic tactics that evade the law and undermine
public policy are unethical.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values 3-7

Government Ethics Codes and the Five Principles of
Public Service Ethics, Continued

The Five Principles Description

Principles of
5. Respectability All public servants must safeguard public confidence in
Public Service
the integrity of the government by avoiding
Ethics
appearances of impropriety and conduct unbefitting
(continued)
their office. Because of their high visibility it is
especially important that peace officers scrupulously
conduct their professional and personal lives in a
manner that never tarnishes their badges.

Professional One of the elements that defines a profession is the requirements that its
Codes of members adhere to a code of conduct. Lawyers, doctors, and ministers are
Conduct obliged, for example, to keep certain communications confidential. They also
have an ethical duty to avoid romantic relationships with clients.

Policing professionals have a similar set of ethical rules. They have a duty to
help people in danger, even at risk to their own lives. They are limited to what
they can do while in uniform. They are prohibited from endorsing commercial
products, and so forth. The International Association of Chiefs of Police,
and California Peace Officers Association, and other policing entities have
codes of ethics that defined proper conduct.

Remember, professional ethical duties supplement, they do not replace,

the universal ethical obligations of the Six Pillars of Character.

3-8 LD 00: Chapter 3 – Ethics and Values

 Chapter 4

Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond;

cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.

— Mark Twain
Author
1835-1910

As previously mentioned, Academy and in-service training will focus on

developing four qualities of an exemplary peace officer: good character,
proficiency, professionalism, and leadership.

The goal is to assure that graduates have strong critical thinking, problem-
solving and leadership skills, and a keen sense of who they are and how their
work will be performed. The test of your training will be your ability to do
all you are required to do in stressful, fluid, and uncertain situations.

In the field, you will have a great deal of power and broad discretion on how
to deal with circumstances. Consequently, heavy emphasis will be placed on
problem-solving and decision-making. The objective will be to teach you
how to make exemplary decisions that effectively, legally, and ethically
achieve the best possible result.

Remember, however, Academy training is only the first phase of your

professional preparation. The second phase will be field training where you
will apply and refine your skills and knowledge in real-life situations.

Since the attributes of an exemplary peace officer are crucial, further

exploration of these qualities should help guide you through the Academy.

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-1

Good Character

Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit;
sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a
destiny.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Writer
1803-1882

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of

man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.

— Henry David Thoreau

Poet and essayist
1817-1862

Good character is the foundation of exemplary policing. Good moral

character is ethics in action built on the foundation of six major virtues. All of
your conduct and decisions at the Academy and in the field will be judged by
these ethical principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness,
caring, and good citizenship

Without good character, all the knowledge and skills taught at the Academy
will not make you a good officer.

No matter how smart you are, how good an investigator you are, or how
adept you are with weapons, you are not fit or qualified to be an EPO
unless you have good character.

No one comes to, or leaves, the Academy with perfect character. No matter
how strong your character is (or you think it is) when you enter the Academy,
if you seek to be an EPO you must believe you can be better and strive to do
so.

In fact, a major role of Academy instructors and field training officers is to

strengthen character traits, problem solving, and critical thinking skills to help
you become an exemplary peace officer. Don’t take this as a personal insult.

Continued on next page

4-2 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Good Character, Continued

Questions about Do you think your character is permanently established, or are you still
character capable of growing and choosing who you want to be and how you want to
conduct your life?
Could you become more or less honest?
Could you decide to be more or less responsible?
Could you increase your sensitivity to issues of individuality or respect or
become more callous and cynical about certain populations (e.g., drug users,
prostitutes, gang bangers, social workers, lawyers)?
Could an Academy instructor, field training officer, or mentor teach you
anything that will help you eliminate or reduce negative characteristics or
instill or strengthen positive ones?

This is not because your instructors assume that there is anything wrong with
your character. It’s because character development is a lifelong process and
not matter how good you are, you can be better.

If you are receptive and reflective, you may find your virtues getting stronger
as you adopt professional policing values and attitudes that help you become:

• More committed to honesty in all things

• More able to control negative impulses

• More willing to treat people with respect no matter the provocation

• More diligent, thorough, and accurate in what you write and say

• More dedicated to helping others, pursuing justice, and upholding the law

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-3

Good Character, Continued

Questions about • More likely to summon the moral courage to do the right thing, even when
character it may be personally risky or costly
(continued)
• More likely to make effective and ethical decisions

The point is that character is constantly undergoing reformation as life

experiences and choices change beliefs about what is right and wrong
and our priorities as to what is important.

Screening and At each hire and promotion, administrators assess candidates’ character to
weeding eliminate those who cannot be counted on to be scrupulously trustworthy,
respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and law-abiding.

While background investigations sometimes reveal disqualifying character

issues, observing performance and behavior will often reveal negative
character traits not discovered in the hiring or promotion process. Character
assessment (like character building) is never final.

Remember, from the time you enter the Academy and throughout your
career, your conduct will be continually observed for signs of poor
character, including lying or deception, cheating, prejudice, lack of self-
control laziness, carelessness, and off-duty misconduct.

Continued on next page

4-4 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Good Character, Continued

Special issues Better keep yourself clean and bright.

of Integrity You are the window through which you must see the world.

— George Bernard Shaw

Irish playwright
1856-1950

In hiring people, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and

energy. But remember, if they don’t have the first, the other two will
kill you.

— Warren Buffet
CEO, Bershire Hathaway

Promoting and preserving an ethical environment at the Academy and in the

field is everyone’s responsibility. Despite all efforts to screen out dishonest
people from the policing profession, corruption remains a significant concern
for police administrators. Every peace officer must learn to perceive and deal
with the seductive forces of greed and other pressures of moral compromise.

Training will include, but go well beyond, warnings about the personal
consequences of dishonesty (e.g., “If you lie, you die”). You will be reminded
that your badge represents the entire profession; any personal misconduct that
tarnishes that badge will damage the policing profession itself.

You will also discuss conflicting demands of loyalty and the professional duty
to deal with improper conduct by fellow officers. You will learn about your
obligation to reject the “Code of Silence” that protects wrongdoers and you
will learn that there can be severe consequences if you participate in or “look
the other way” from a fellow officer’s misconduct.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-5

Good Character, Continued

Your integrity Your personal integrity will be tested and measured daily by the honesty of
is tested daily your communications, your willingness to abide by the rules – all the rules –
and how you conduct yourself in written exams, scenario testing, and physical
skills tests such as defensive tactics and emergency vehicle operations.

If you fail a knowledge test or skill exercise, you normally will be given an
opportunity to improve and re-test. If you fail the integrity requirements of
any task, you will likely be separated from the Academy. Your policing
career will be over before it starts.

In the Academy and in the field, the slightest departure from integrity can
have enormous personal consequences. Dishonesty in any form will not be
tolerated. For example, cheating at the Academy is strictly forbidden, but it is
not enough that you don’t cheat. You will be expected to set an example of
integrity and, if necessary, prevent others from cheating.

Everyone on the Academy staff, including administrators and instructors, is

responsible to identify and report ethical violations. Students are also
expected to report improper conduct by staff or classmates.

If you observe another cadet engaging in conduct unworthy of the trust

symbolized by the badge, you are duty-bound to report the conduct to
the appropriate authority.

This requirement is consistent with your duty in the field to report and
intervene when violations of the law or professional practices occur. Failure
to do so diminishes your credibility as a peace officer and can be grounds for
sanctions up to and including dismissal.

Accepting responsibility for the integrity of classmates and friends can be very
difficult. At times, there may be significant social and professional pressure to
look the other way. You must accept that your law enforcement duties require
you to do the right thing.

Continued on next page

4-6 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Good Character, Continued

Test of integrity Cadets Chan and Kolinsky are friends. Chan has had difficulty on written
exams and believes he will wash out if he does not improve. Chan asks
Kolinsky to help him cheat using a method he used in high school.

1. What should Kolinsky do?

2. If Kolinsky helps his friend and it is later discovered, what should the
appropriate discipline be for both Chan and Kolinsky?

3. If Kolinsky refuses to help, is that enough? Does he have an ethical

obligation to report Chan’s past cheating in high school and his attempt to
cheat at the Academy?

4. If another cadet overhears Chan’s suggestion to Kolinsky and reports it to

an instruction who then confronts Kolinsky, what should Kolinsky say? If
Kolinsky doesn’t tell the truth, what should the appropriate discipline be?

5. Suppose an instructor, believing Chan will make a good officer but is

failing only because he has test anxiety, gives Chan some answers in
advance. Is Chan justified in using them? Is Chan obligated to report the
instructor?

6. An instructor wants to help the cadets score well on a test and leaks the
answer key to a few cadets. Are the cadets justified in using it? What
should the appropriate discipline be for anyone who uses it? What is the
appropriate discipline for the instructor? If there is a duty to report the
cadets or the instructor, to whom should the violations be reported?

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-7

Proficiency

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit
in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing
attitude.

— Colin Powell
U.S. Army General and former Secretary of State

As a peace officer, you will have many important and diverse responsibilities.
You must be able to perform these duties with a high level of professional
competence. We refer to this high level of competence as “proficiency.”

Most of your training will concentrate on what you need know and do to be an
EPO. The essential elements of proficiency are knowledge, skills, abilities,
and judgment. A major part of your training will focus on developing these
core proficiencies.

Proficiency

Skills and
Knowledge Judgment
Abilities

Continued on next page

4-8 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Proficiency, Continued

Knowledge You will be required to learn, understand and remember a great deal of
information about the law. This includes:

• Constitutional law focusing on the Bills of Rights and court cases

interpreting its provisions

• State criminal laws

• Ordinances (city and county laws)

• States and local ethics rules

• Professional standards of conduct

You will also have to learn the tactics and procedures of safe and effective
policing.

Skills and You will also be expected to master a wide range of operational skills (e.g.,
Abilities the effective use of force, how to approach a vehicle safely, how to write
reports, testifying in court). These skills will be taught through simulations,
practice, and real-life experience. As you develop new skills or improve
existing ones, remember that what is important is not just knowing what to
do, but actually doing it – and doing it well in the field.

Judgment As a peace officer, you will regularly face situations requiring you to exercise
discretion and make decisions that will significantly impact others. All those
affected by your decisions have a stake in what you do. Thus, they are called
stakeholders.

It’s not enough to avoid poor decisions. An exemplary peace officer makes
exemplary decisions – decisions that produce the best possible result (BPR).
Just as your ability to drive at high speeds or use physical force can be
improved through training, your judgment can be enhanced as well.

One of the most effective ways to improve judgment is to understand the

components of an exemplary decision, which will be discussed in Chapter 5.

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-9

Professionalism

Policing is a profession and peace officers must conduct themselves as

professionals.

Professionalism is demonstrated by the pursuit of the policing mission

with courage, composure, competence, and respect in a manner that
upholds the highest standards of policing ethics, displays a commitment
to continual self-improvement, and generates public trust, respect, and
confidence.

Mission-
focused

Trust Courage

Self-
improvement Professionalism Composure

Ethics
Competence

Respect

Continued on next page

4-10 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Professionalism, Continued

Elements of Element Description

professionalism
Mission-Focused Focuses on all mission objectives and achieves as many
as possible in every action.
Courage Stands up for what is right with integrity and zeal
despite physical, social, or career risks.
Composure Presents a bearing and demeanor characterized by
poise, coolness, and self-control that inspires
confidence in the officer’s character and leadership.
Competence Employs expert knowledge, excellent skills, and
exemplary judgment in performing all tasks.
Respect Treats all people with dignity and courtesy regardless of
provocation.
Ethics Adheres to high standards of policing ethics (including
the Six Pillars of Character, the Five Principles of
Public Service Ethics, government ethics laws, and
professional standards of conduct for peace officers).
Self- Engages in continual reflection and self-education to
Improvement strengthen character and improve proficiency,
professionalism, and leadership.
Trust Behaves in a manner that inspires respect and trust.

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-11

Leadership

Do not follow where the path may lead.

Go instead where is not a path and leave a trail.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

American author, poet and philosopher
1803-1882

An effective peace officer has good leadership skills.

Leadership is demonstrated by the ability to improve a situation or

achieve a socially positive change by influencing the way others think
and act and by the ability to take command of a situation.

In policing, the leadership is not simply a matter of rank or official authority.

Your conduct as a peace officer will impact the actions of others and you will
learn to appreciate the important and highly visible leadership role you will
play on a daily basis.

In the Academy you will develop two aspects of leadership: command

presence and personal influence.

• Command Presence: One aspect of leading is command presence. This

is the ability to take command and direct others in a manner that
effectively responds to the needs of a situation. A leader is someone
others expect to take charge.

• Personal Influence: Another aspect of leadership is the ability to

influence the way others think or act to improve a situation or achieve a
socially positive change. This is achieved through the ethical use of
authority, persuasion, and/or personal credibility.

Leaders know how to discover, learn from and make positive use of the
knowledge skills, and talents each person brings to a situation. Take time to
note and appreciate the diversity of your classmates and instructors.

4-12 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

Leadership, Continued

Beyond racial, ethnic, religious, and gender differences, you will also meet
people with a wide array of opinions and experiences. Every cadet brings
something of value that will aid his or her own training and contributes to the
classroom environment.

Examples Example: After a year on the job, Officer Sanchez is getting

frustrated and cynical. “I can’t believe the kinds of things
people say to us and we can’t do anything about it, and I’m
sick and tired of making arrests and seeing punks let out on
technicalities. I’m beginning to understand the attraction
of street justice.” Officer Brown says, “I agree, I hate
being insulted and ignored, but I really think we’ve got
those drug dealers on the run. For me, the aggravation’s
worth it.”

Officer Brown chooses to focus on the accomplishments of

his work while Officer Sanchez is overwhelmed by
negative emotions. Brown is a leader with a healthy
perspective about the day-to-day rewards and frustrations
of policing.

Which officer do you think will be more effective in his

career?

LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer 4-13

Leadership, Continued

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4-14 LD 00: Chapter 4 – Attributes of an Exemplary Peace Officer

 Chapter 5

Aspects of an Exemplary Decision

Everyday, peace officers make decisions with great consequences. Poor

decisions can jeopardize lives, destroy relationships, and undermine careers.
A major objective of your Academy and field training will be to improve
your critical thinking, judgment, and decision-making.

LD 00: Chapter 5 – Aspects of an Exemplary Decision 5-1

The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary

Policing decisions can be ranked as poor, acceptable, good, and exemplary.

At the Academy you will be taught the differences to help you avoid poor
choices and make good and exemplary decisions.

Overview of All decisions must have at least three dimensions:

what you will
learn 1. They must be legal,

2. They must be ethical, and

3. They must be effective.

The distinction between an acceptable, good, and exemplary decision is found

in its level of effectiveness. Acceptable decisions are minimally effective
because they accomplish only the primary policing purpose (e.g., making an
arrest or disarming an enraged citizen).

Good decisions accomplish the primary policing purpose, but they also avoid
unintended and/or undesirable consequences.

Exemplary decisions require a critically thoughtful appraisal of the

possibilities of a situation so that the tactic employed will accomplish as many
mission elements as possible. The objective of an exemplary decision is the
best possible result (BPR).

Continued on next page

5-2 LD 00: Chapter 5 – Aspects of an Exemplary Decision

The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary,
Continued

Decision Poor Decision A poor decision is unacceptable because it is illegal,

making: unethical, and/or ineffective.
from poor
Acceptable An acceptable decision legally, ethically, and effectively
to exemplary
Decision accomplishes only the primary policing purpose.
Good Decision A good decision legally, ethically, and effectively
accomplishes the primary policing purpose without
causing unintended and/or undesirable consequences.
Exemplary An exemplary decision employs expert knowledge,
Decision excellent skills, and exemplary judgment in performing
all tasks.

The legal The first requirement of every policing decision is legality. A decision is legal
dimension of if it complies with the Constitution, state and local statutes, and agency
a decision policies. You must have a substantial working knowledge of the law and the
ability to find out efficiently what you don’t know. This is an aspect of
proficiency.

The ethical The decision is ethical if the results and means are consistent with ethical
dimension of principles and professional responsibilities. Thus, all your decisions must be
a decision filtered through your various ethical obligations contained in the Six Pillars of
Character, the Five Principles of Public-Service Ethics, and professional ethics
codes.

Continued on next page

LD 00: Chapter 5 – Aspects of an Exemplary Decision 5-3

The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary,
Continued

The An effective decision safely and efficiently accomplishes its purposes. A

effectiveness decision is more effective if it also avoids unintended negative consequences.
dimension of a It is most effective it if accomplishes the best possible result (BPR).
decision
• Safety. Safety is an important consideration in all policing decisions. An
effective decision reduces the risk of injury or danger to victims,
bystanders, perpetrators, suspects, and officers.

• Efficiently: An efficient decision accomplishes its goals using the least

amount of time, effort, personnel, and money.

• Accomplishes Its Purpose: All policing decisions should be purposeful.

That means the officer has a particular objective in mind related to the
policing mission. An effective decision accomplishes the objective
without causing unintended and undesirable consequences.

Achieving the The essence of an exemplary decision is the ability to identify and achieve the
best possible best possible result in terms of the four key elements of the policing mission:
result (BPR)
1. Protect and Serve the Public: The primary policing purpose is to protect
and serve the public by enforcing laws, protecting life and property from
criminal or negligent human conduct and natural forces, and by preserving
peace and public order.

2. Enhance the Quality of Life: An important secondary policing purpose

is to foster an environment where people feel free, safe, secure, and well-
protected by preventing or discouraging crime, reducing the fear of crime,
and solving community problems.

3. Generate and Maintain Public Trust: Policing actions should be carried

out in a manner that generates and sustains public trust.

4. Uphold Individual Liberties and Constitutional Rights. Policing that

violates Constitutional rights is illegal. Those that disregard human
dignity and moral rights to freedom, liberty, and privacy are unethical.

Continued on next page

5-4 LD 00: Chapter 5 – Aspects of an Exemplary Decision

The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary,
Continued

Achieving the The first two elements of the mission describe the “what” of policing —
best possible the ends. The second two describe the “how” — the means.
result (BPR)
(continued)

Legal Ethical
• Six Pillars of
• Constitution
Character
• Statutes
• Five Principles of
• Agency Policies
Public Service Ethics
• Professional Codes

Aspects of an
Exemplary
Decision

BPR
Effective
• Protects and serves
• Upholds individual • Safe
rights • Efficient
• Enhances quality of • Accomplishes
life intended purpose
• Generates public • Avoid unintended
trust consequences

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The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary,
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Achieving the In policing, the ends and means are inextricably intertwined. A decision that
best possible accomplishes either or both of the first two mission elements but creates
result (BPR) widespread public distrust and disapproval because it violates either or both of
(continued) the other two is usually counterproductive.

An exemplary decision-maker is always aware of potential negative public

reaction and while this consideration should not dictate policing behavior, it
may influence it.

Identifying 1. Devise and implement a legal, ethical, and effective strategy to deal with
the BPR the core policing situation (e.g., disarming a man with a gun, making a
required report, stopping youngsters from throwing rocks from an
overpass).

2. Choose a method of handling the problem that demonstrates respect for

human liberty, dignity, and Constitutional rights (e.g., be polite,
professional, understanding, and compassionate).

3. Consider if the method of handling the problem would engender public

support and trust if it were videotaped and played on the news.

4. Critically think of how else you could reduce discomfort or the fear of
crime and increase a sense of security.

Examples Example: You are called to the home of an elderly burglary victim
who fears the burglar will return. The Immediate task is to
take a report but there is an important additional
opportunity to reduce fear and increase the victim’s
confidence in and trust for the police. What could you do
to achieve the BPR?

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The Quality of a Decision: Acceptable to Exemplary,
Continued

Examples Example: You observe a fellow officer making an inappropriate

sexual advance toward a person being interviewed. This
may violate the law as well as agency policy and is
inherently disrespectful. What would be BPR be? What
kinds of things could you do to achieve it?

Example: While on patrol, Officer Olsen a first-year peace officer, is

flagged down by someone who says that a gang war is
about to erupt a few blocks away. Olsen knows there has
been tension in the neighborhood for a week since an
eight-year old Hispanic boy was killed in a drive-by
attributed to a black gang. The witness say about 20
youths have gathered and are exchanging insults and
threats. Las month, an officer was shot in the same area
during a traffic stop. What should the officer do? Should
he immediately call for back-up and approach the scene
with a show of force, knowing that a multi-car response
might be unnecessary and might actually inflame passions
and make the situation more dangerous? Should he drive
by the area and investigate for himself and see how bad it
really is and if he can disperse the crowd himself? Should
he call in and seek guidance from the watch commander?
Should he accept the witness’ description as complete or
accurate? Whatever Olsen does may trigger a chain of
events that will make things better or worse.

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5-8 LD 00: Chapter 5 – Aspects of an Exemplary Decision

 Chapter 6

Looking Beyond the Academy

Formal and Informal Education

Formal The training you will get in the Academy is only the first phase of your
education: preparation to become a peace officer. After graduation, you will start
extensive training in the field or other agency-specific setting. In each phase
of training there will be formal and informal parts to your education. The
formal parts include what your instructors teach and what is contained in your
course materials and agency manuals; the informal part is what you learn from
listening to classmates, fellow officers, and others.

Informal After you leave Academy you will be assigned to a training officer who will
education: lead your field education. This formal field training will be supplemented by
interaction with veteran officers who may give you an informal education
consisting of advice and commentary critical of, and sometimes contrary to,
what you learned in the Academy. Even your training officer may add some
“off the record” instruction.

Be open but A common theme of this informal education is to discount some things you
analytical: were taught in the Academy in favor of different strategies or values that you
might hear are more realistic for the unpredictable and dangerous environment
of the streets.

Usually, the informal education you will receive is sound and helpful and will
add a vital supplement to your Academy instruction. There are things we
don’t or can’t teach in the Academy because policing is often conducted in a
fluid and changing environment requiring common sense, multi-tasking, a
keen sense of officer safety, and ethical and professional obligations. Field
training is necessary to hone the knowledge and skills you acquired at the
Academy and provide additional practical application that is vital to help
transform you into a competent professional.

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Formal and Informal Education, Continued

Be open but Be careful, however, of claims that everything taught in the field is correct and
analytical: everything you learned in the Academy is foolish or wrong. You need to be
(continued) open to but analytical of new information and opinions so you can develop
and maintain attitudes and habits that will help rather than hinder your request
to become an EPO.

In some cases, the purpose of such informal advice is to help you (or force
you) to fit in with an existing culture. Occasionally, veterans want to assure
themselves “you have what it takes” to help them in dangerous or uncertain
situations.

They may want you to know the way things “really are.” Some may be
unhappy with changes they perceive as unnecessary or unhelpful. Some just
want to continue doing what they have been doing despite changes in attitudes
and policies over the years and they don’t want you to rock the boat.

You may be told your instructors and agency leaders are out of touch with
what it takes to succeed on the streets. You may be told certain policies are
political or just don’t make sense, and loyalty to each other is more important
than loyalty to the Constitution, the law, or your oath.

Beware of bad advice that reflects erroneous or unacceptable views about

the law, agency policies, or good policing practices. These views may be the
opinions of the person talking to you or represent a more widely adopted
attitude in your agency. Either way, be cautious about any advice that runs
counter to what you learn at the Academy.

Well-intended or not, efforts to contradict your training and protect an old-line

culture can harm your agency and your career.

Times have changed. Methods that were acceptable in the past may be
career-enders today.

The gap between the “is” and the “ought”: As you progress in policing you
will become aware of gaps between the “is” (the way things really work) and
the “ought” (the way things are supposed to work according to policy and
law).

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Formal and Informal Education, Continued

Be open but Unfortunately, conduct violating official policy may be practiced in some
analytical: settings. But no matter what others do or tell you to do, in the end, agency
(continued) policies and the law will prevail. Those who choose to ignore either will have
a short career in policing.

It can be a fatal career mistake to engage in any practice, no matter how

common, that involves dishonesty or deceit, the use of unreasonable force, or
any other practice that violates agency policy or the law.

Beyond these sanctions, though, the greatest punishment you might face is
knowing your actions are inconsistent with your highest moral aspirations and
character.

Think about it: Dealing with Informal Education. After graduation from the Academy,
Officer Jordan is assigned a field trainer who sets the following ground rules:

1. “Forget what you learned in the Academy. Most of that stuff has nothing
to do with the real world. I’m going to teach you what works.”

2. “Rules and policies don’t protect you on the street. Sometimes you have
to bend the rules to get the job done or get home safe.”

3. “Whatever is said or seen in this car stays in this car. If you hear or see
something you don’t like or understand, take it up with me. It goes
nowhere else unless I say so.”

• If Officer Jordan adopts and follows these new rules, what positive and
negative things may result immediately and over the course of his
career?

• Can a new officer really be expected to do anything but play by the

rules of the game as set forth by his TO?

• Is the TO doing his job properly? Why or why not?

• What options does Officer Jordan have?

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Formal and Informal Education, Continued

Diversion and Officers and deputies who become EPOs will reap enormous benefits from a
derailment career in public service. EPOs identify so much with their role and
responsibilities that policing becomes a part of their identity. Thus, if an off-
duty cop is asked by a stranger “What do you do?” the answer is likely to be a
proud response: “I am a peace officer.”

Policing is not Many agencies have compressed work schedules with extended hours
just what you resulting in three or four off-duty days each week. These schedules provide
do, it’s who the opportunity and, in some cases, temptation to develop a parallel work life
you are doing something else (e.g., landscaping, auto repair, security work, internet
businesses). There may also be a temptation to extend yourself beyond your
capacity to support your policing career and your elective pursuits.

Some officers can successfully juggle other work responsibilities, others

cannot. They become diverted and distracted in ways that derail their careers.
Effective policing requires complete concentration and maintaining a sense of
balance. How well you balance competing interests – family, community,
work – will often determine your ability to make sound decisions. Officers
distracted by other business demands or exhausted by excessively long work
weeks are far more likely to make mistakes and jeopardize their careers, lives,
and the lives of others.

Policing should You must be vigilant to keep your focus and not allow off-duty activities to
be your impede your performance or your quest to become an exemplary peace office.
principle and
primary role No matter how much you may try, a lack of focus on policing as your primary
in your work job will show itself eventually and you will fail to meet your potential.
life What’s worse, you will fail to meet your responsibility to your agency, your
fellow officers, and the public.

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Formal and Informal Education, Continued

Conclusion We want to close this introduction as we opened it – with congratulations.

You are on the threshold of a life-changing experience and a profession that
will give you a rare opportunity to be a major force in the lives of others as
well as to maintain a free and safe society. What can be more challenging and
rewarding than that?

We hope you enjoy the journey.

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