Police Ethics: The Corruption of Noble Cause

Police Ethics: The Corruption of Noble Cause, Fifth Edition, provides an analysis of corruption in law enforcement organizations. The authors argue that the noble cause – a commitment to “doing something about bad people” – is a central “ends-based” police ethic. This fundamental principle of police ethics can paradoxically open the way to community polarization and increased violence, however, when officers violate the law on behalf of personally held moral values. This book is about the power that police use to do their work and how it can lead police officers to abuse their positions at the individual and organizational levels. It provides students of policing with a realistic understanding of the kinds of problems they will confront in the practice of police work.

This new edition offers police administrators direction for developing agency-wide corruption prevention strategies through an application of the Model of Circumstantial Corruptibility. In response to recent issues affecting the relationship between police departments and minority communities, like the Black Lives Matter organization and the death of George Floyd, this new edition provides workable solutions. Finally, this edition contains a discussion on what might be an emerging trend in American policing the authors call the over-politicization of the policing function.

Jeffrey D. Dailey is Professor in the Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice at Angelo State University. He received his Masters of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University and Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. He has authored several books on the topics of intelligence, homeland security and border security.

Brian L. Withrow is Professor at Texas State University, San Marcos. Prior to his scholarly career, Brian worked for the Texas Department of Public Safety. He started this part of his career in 1981 as State Trooper in a rural part of the Texas Panhandle, rising to the rank of Training Officer, Inspector, and Bureau Commander. Withrow earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Stephen F. Austin State University, his Master of Public Administration from Southwest Texas State University, and his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University.

Michael A. Caldero was a former police officer who presented seminars on the subject of police ethics to police commanders across the United States. He taught in the Department of Administration of Criminal Justice at Bellevue College.