Means of Resolving the Ethical Dilemma of using Deception in Criminal Investigation

Means of Resolving the Ethical Dilemma of using Deception in Criminal Investigation

In order to deal with these ethical dilemmas, police officers should perform a self-assessment of core values periodically. First, law enforcement officers should adhere to the laws. Indeed, the Constitution places limitations on the officers. Those regulations were established to restrict the authority of the government authority and its agents. The protection of personal autonomy is more significant than apprehending and charging all law violators.

The following is a solution which could be followed in order to solve the ethical dilemma. First of all, it is important to perform targeting. It has been determined on whom will the deception techniques be used. The second step is to determine which deception techniques should be allowed to use if, at all, deception is allowed. They should be analyzed with the cost to the society, law enforcement agencies and the invasion of privacy. Law enforcement agencies, especially individual law enforcers should not be allowed to decide whether a deception technique should be used or not. It should be made sure that a proper mechanism involving an autonomous body should be developed to grant approval for using a deception technique. The body should be able to conduct an independent cost-benefit analysis and decide whether a deception technique should be used or not.

This is a difficult theory for investigators to tolerate, but it is the cost of existing in a democratic society. In the end, police will at all times face an array of ethical matters as they execute their duties. They will mostly be towed by several forces such as the need to operate within the principles upon which democracies are grounded and the dire need to care for the public. All these responsibilities form part of the expletive they consent to when they are confirmed as law enforcement officers.

Traffic stats

Scroll to Top