FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Final Essay Assignment
Name: Farhat Mir
Liberty University
CJUS 530
Professor: Blake Lafond
Date: 06th May, 2025
FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Abstract
I will write about the law enforcement agencies ' accountability and integrity in this essay.
Accountability and integrity in law enforcement is very important for the law enforcement
organizations. I will also discuss the two landmark cases of the US Supreme Court which address
law enforcement officer’s accountability and integrity and their rights and these cases are Brady
vs Maryland and Giglio vs. United States. In both cases it is defined that prosecutors are obliged
by the constitution to disclose the evidence to the defendants.* )*An officer’s ethics and behavior
impact the whole organization. Law enforcement officers are considered to hold high standards.
Law enforcement agencies can lose the trust of the community they serve if their officers'
accountability and integrity is in question. Community expects officers to enforce the law and
safeguard the lives and properties. The lack of accountability and integrity can damage the trust
between the agencies and the community.
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To maintain public safety and effective policing the law enforcement agencies and community
relationship and trust is very crucial. Citizens look up to the officers and expect officers to hold
high standards but not double standards. If a citizen's breaks the law there are consequences and
they expect the same for the law enforcement officers. To maintain the public trust law
enforcement organizations must have strict policies to monitor their officer’s code of conduct
and hold them accountable for their unprofessional conducts. Every officer must uphold the
highest standard of honesty and integrity.* They must be truthful, respectful and professional in
their interactions and must avoid bias policing. In recent years the public trust in law
enforcement has grown down.* “ The decline is often attributed to incidents recorded on video in
which law enforcement officers have either clearly engaged in misconduct and criminal activity
or have been perceived as doing so”(Law Enforcement Code of Ethics: Upholding Trust and
Moral Integrity in the Line of Duty - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com, 2023) . Agencies
lose public trust when their officers are not held accountable or they lie about their
unprofessional conduct. When there are citizen’s complaints against an officer it's investigated
internally through the internal affairs bureau. Often if found guilty officers get suspended or
terminated as a consequence for their misconduct.* An author, Elliott Spector in his article
“Should police officers who lie be terminated as a matter of public policy” discusses a case
where an officer lied. Author emphasizes police honesty and how it matters in prosecuting the
cases. “On September 5, 2007, the State of Washington published the first opinion holding that a
police officer who lies should be terminated as a matter of public policy”(101: Should Officers
Who Lie Be Terminated?, n.d.).* The Kitsap county Sheriff terminated his deputy LaFrance for
lying and erratic behavior.* An arbitrator did not agree with the Sheriff decision even though he
knew that deputy LaFrance was repeatedly untruthful. Arbitrary was not convinced that the
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termination was the right decision and reinstated the deputy back to full duty. This case ended up
in an appellate court and it ordered that the arbitration award was unenforceable as against public
safety. This decision was based on Sheriff Findings and his concern was that officer Lafrance is
in Brady list and when he testify in the court for any case his evidence and statement will be
questionable since he has been untruthful during his duty. “ In Brady v. Maryland, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that a prosecutor must release information favorable to an accused upon
request;[ii] therefore, if LaFrance were to testify in a criminal proceeding, the prosecutor would
be legally and ethically obligated to disclose his history of untruthfulness to defense counsel.
“Put simply, LaFrance’s proven record of dishonesty prevents him from useful service as a law
enforcement officer. To require his reinstatement to a position of great public trust in which he
cannot possibly serve violates public policy.” (101: Should Officers Who Lie Be Terminated?,
n.d.).Based on the facets that Lafrance has a history of being deceitful his integrity is
questionable which makes him unfit to serve as a law enforcement officer. Especially after the
news made a story in the media it became even more difficult for the agency to have an officer
who has lost public trust. “Institutions need legitimacy to function. A belief in the rule of law
(and not individuals) fosters their legitimacy” (Cato Institute, 2016).
With this in mind should this be a matter of common response and general public policy?
Every law enforcement agency has an internal policy and employees who violate those policies
face consequences from suspension to termination. A common procedure in the law enforcement
agencies is to have two separate investigation units in internal affairs. Our agency has one team
which investigates civil complaints and one team is responsible for criminal complaints/cases
against officers.* An officer’s credibility is crucial for any agency and its reputation. When it
comes to an officer’s deception it depends on the investigations, evidence and the findings. There
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are policies and procedures and every case is different. Officer’s deception complaints decision
is case on case bases and can’t be based on general public policy. Every agency has different
policies and procedures and disciplinary actions are based on the case / complaints.
Should all officers found guilty of deception (lying) be subject to termination?
I don't agree that all officers found guilty of deception be subject to termination. As I mentioned
above it depends on the case / complaints.* Officers are held responsible for their actions both
civilly and criminally. Lie is a lie big or small but again it all depends on the investigation,
circumstances and the intentions of the officer. Where I don't agree that every officer guilty of
deception should be terminated I agree that community look up to the officers for their and their
properties safety and they expect them to hold high standards, its officers responsibility to
maintain their credibility by serving the community with honesty, integrity and keeping in mind
that they are accountable of their actions on and off duty. * Based on the officer’s actions there
are several disciplinary actions which agencies take before getting to the point of terminating an
officer. Officers who are guilty of deception must be added to Brady list.
It is simple, but is it fair?
As long as the constitution's fifth and fourteenth amendment of right of due process are followed,
yes it is fair although it is not simple. It's simple that your actions have consequences, an officer
whose actions are impermissible and violates the policy of the law enforcement agency he or she
serves must be punished and face the consequences. Decisions must be based on thorough
investigation and evidence and the officers must be provided with the opportunity to defend
themselves. Officers must be given the right to defend and all the evidence against the officer
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must be presented to the defendant. If an officer is found guilty he / she must be given the notice
of termination along with all the details of the findings which led to the decision.
Is it possible that you could lose some really good personnel who only messed up once in
their whole career?
Absolutely it's possible. It all depends on the degree of deception and the circumstances. Once
officers take an oath they must abide by that oath in every interaction. It's a responsibility of an
officer to follow the rules and policies of their agency. Officers must empower and educate
themselves with the department policies and how a serious action can be taken against them if
they violate the policies. A law enforcement officer must understand the fact that the power and
authority they have comes with the responsibilities and accountabilities.* Officers must take all
the policies and procedures seriously. One wrong action by an officer not only can damage his or
her career but can damage the agency’s reputation. Citizens trust their agencies is very important
and agencies across the nation believe in public trust and relationship building.
What effect will such a drastic measure have on the personnel’s families?
Being a law enforcement officer is a full time job and officers support their family’s financial
needs through their job. If an officer is terminated for deception it not only impacts his/her
family financially but also they get emotionally, and socially impacted. Law enforcement family
is a very close network and they talk, they gossip and they discuss others often. An officer who is
guilty of deception which led to his/her termination can feel anxiety, depression, shame and
guilt. The termination becomes a reason for loss of income, legal fees, trust and additional health
care cost. * A termination due to deception can have long term negative effects in the
relationships, finances, mental health including post-traumatic stress disorder.
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If you keep them, will it affect the overall credibility of your agency?
I would say yes, again it all depends on the case if it has gone in the media public trust will be at
stake. Officers are under constant scrutiny and the public always looks for negative interaction so
they can be explicit. There is not only media anymore, its social media which transmits
information and disinformation instantly. What comes in public eyes has an impact on the
agencies. It works both ways when officers do the incredible job they get awards and recognition
which develops the trust. At the same time when an officer becomes guilty of deception, the
community loses the trust especially if it's about a case, statement of evidence. When an officer
is guilty of deception his/her name gets added to Brady list and their investigation, statements,
evidence etc. is always questioned by the defendant and their consul.
What conclusion does the writer reach? Why or why not?
I Believe law enforcement officers must be held to the highest standards. To maintain the
community's trust officers must keep a positive and professional behavior. Law enforcement
code of ethics must be followed and respected.* Although I don't think every officer guilty of
deception should be terminated. There is always a law enforcement perspective and a civilian
perspective. Officers go call to call and a lot of time they can remember everything,
unintentionally some time they can’t remember the facts and the details. There are multiple
factors which play a role in an allegation of deception on an officer. Officers who are not alleged
of a serious deception must be provided a chance to improve their integrity by providing them
with further training. Agencies must use discretion before getting to a final decision of
terminating an officer. Supervisors must have a trust relationship with the officers to make them
comfortable to share their mistakes as they share their achievements. Internal affairs
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investigations must be unbiased and it must be based on all the facts, evidence and
circumstances. Based on the facts officers can be given a written, discipline, warning, and
suspension and in the worst circumstances they must be terminated. “There are severe legal
consequences for not properly managing the untruthful officer, and there are some proactive
steps that should be implemented to reduce the potential for an organizational tolerance or
culture of untruthfulness. Common issues tend to surface during disciplinary proceedings
involving integrity violations” (The Untruthful Officer: A Proactive Management Approach,
2025).
What policy would you recommend for your chief, sheriff, warden, and state police?
Commissioner, and/or any other affiliated executive with whom you may work?
The comprehensive policy regarding truthfulness, honesty and credibility is imperative for the
officers to follow. I would add Brady list in the policy so any officer who is guilty of deception
must be entered In Brady list, this will not compromise the agency’s reputation or credibility. I
would outline the policy about false statement, dishonesty and deception will result in written
discipline, suspension and or termination. Policy must include the elements of dishonesty,
untruthfulness, falsifying information, and failing to fully disclose the information needed. The
policy must the applied it all personnel including supervisors, civilian staff and executives.*
Policy must include truthfulness in all the actions. Interaction internally and with the public,
investigations, statements, evidence, interview and interrogation. policy must include the
consequences and punishments. Transparency and accountability in disciplinary actions must not
be ignored in the policy. I would include training and classes for the officers to learn about the
policy to educate and empower them. Policy must include internal and external reporting and
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investigative methods and procedures. I will make sure that policy is fully enforced throughout
the agency at every level.
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References:
Law Enforcement Code of Ethics: Upholding Trust and Moral Integrity in the Line of Duty -
Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. (2023, September 13). PapersOwl.com.
https://papersowl.com/examples/law-enforcement-code-of-ethics-upholding-trust-and-moral-
integrity-in-the-line-of-duty/
101: Should Officers Who Lie Be Terminated? (n.d.). DLG Learning Center.
https://dlglearningcenter.com/topic/should-officers-who-lie-be-terminated-2/
Cato Institute. (2016). Perceptions of Police Accountability and Integrity. Cato Institute.
https://www.cato.org/policing-in-america/chapter-3/perceptions-police-accountability-integrity
The Untruthful Officer: A Proactive Management Approach. (2025). Aele.org.
https://www.aele.org/lostruth2000.html
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