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Are the rich more unethical than the poor? In 2012 study from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Toronto published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior, measured the relationship between an individual’s income bracket and the degree to which his or her behaviors and attitudes were unethical.  The Study talks about drivers who were financially stable and financially unstable. Upper-class drivers were the most likely to cut off other vehicles at the intersection, even when controlling for time of day, driver’s perceived sex and age, and amount of traffic. The pursuit of self-interest is a more fundamental motive among society’s elite, and the increased want associated with greater wealth and status can promote wrongdoing.  Unethical behavior in the service of self-interest that enhances the individual’s wealth and rank may be a self-perpetuating dynamic that further exacerbates economic disparities in society. In my opinion and experienced I believed that people with money tend to believe that society owes them because they don’t have to ask for help from the government like the people less fortunate. I have stopped people who are low income and will try to talk away from getting a citation but be polite, while the more fortunate will ask you why is he getting a ticket or tell you that phrase “Don’t you Know Who I am”.  I believe that at the end of the day Money and greed play a big role on how the way people behave. The more money people have the higher the sense of power that person feels over anyone else.

The blue wall of silence, also blue code and Blue Shield, have always existed in the law enforcement community. In the United states this term is used to denote the informal rule that purportedly exists among police officers not to report on a colleague's errors, misconducts, or crimes, including police brutality. I have never dealt with this but not saying it does not exist. In fact, we rely on a code of ethics and this is what keeps us from conducting ourselves unethically. I believe that every officer should be responsible for its own actions. Society sees us as a gang. People sees one officers misconduct and think all officers are the same. But a good partner will pull you to a side when you are conducting your self inappropriately, but will report you if your misconduct persists. A lot of people don’t see what a Police Officer sees. For example, I responded to a vehicle roll over involving a family. I was the first one to get there and what I saw that day was very horrific and I have to live with that image. You get to cope with the tragedy and you rely on your fellow officers to get you through that. Because then you go home, take of the uniform and play your most important role and that is being a dad, husband and friend.  

Paul K. Piff, Daniel M. Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner

PNAS March 13, 2012 109 (11) 4086-4091; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118373109

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