Abuse of authority the ethical implications Essay

Abuse of authority the ethical implications - Essay Example In some cases the abuse of authority is clearly seen as in situations like the RAMPART days in Los Angeles in other cases it is far less visible and can be seen in daily interactions between citizens and law enforcement. The purpose of this paper is to define what abuse of authority is, and to address the ethical dilemma that is rightly attached. Additionally addressed will be my personal stance, what changes could be made as well as the implications of the abuse of power when coupled with one’s faith. Abuse of Authority the ethical implications The definition of authority is a person who is command, or a government agency tasked with the role of administering to the public. The definition of abuse as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary is, â€Å"Improper or excessive use or treatment, physical maltreatment, a corrupt practice or custom† (Abuse, 2011). When combined and applied to the criminal justice system these words create a phrase that means a government agency w hich is corrupt or uses improper or excessive force. Some more common examples of abuse of power are, politicians using their position to profit, law enforcement using their position to promote non sanctioned methods, direct physically oppressive behaviors and using a nations military to secure private corporate monetary and physical gains. The abuse of power or authority can result in a loss of confidence by the general public, riots and war if it is advanced enough. None of these are beneficial to the state at large especially with regards to the criminal justice system and the desire to advance order through a fair and impartial justice system. With modern communications ability one event can quickly become a much larger political issue causing fractures in the fabric of society as a result. Personally, I believe that the abuse of power or authority is a crime and cannot be tolerated. Seeing that the abuse of authority can cause much larger problems it is necessary to ensure that when it occurs it is immediately stopped and if necessary an example is made so as to prevent future instances of this nature. As a professional member of the criminal justice world it is up to me to apply a fair and even approach regardless of the situation and to never use my power either perceived or real to profit personally or in an abusive manner. The United States is largely Christian and even though there are other religious and non-religious views that it is to a large part Christian can also have a positive or detrimental effect on the abuse of power. Researcher Joycelyn M. Pollock in her manuscript Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice states, â€Å"A fundamental question discussed by philosophers and religious scholars is whether God commands us not to commit an act because it is inherently wrong, or whether an act acquires its â€Å"badness† or â€Å"goodness† solely from God’s definition of it† (Pollock, 2008 pg. 41). Does this mean we act base on what we believe God wants or what we have agreed to do as per the law of the land. The Bible itself clearly states that we are to â€Å"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves â€Å"(Biblegateway, 2011). Simply put by following the commands laid out for us in the Bible the abuse of power should never be an issue personally for Christians, however, we are all human as well. This means that mistakes can and are made, unfortunately, if a person is a Christian and is convicted of abusing their authority then it can have greater repercussions then just politically. Additionally because of the current various threats both external and