The three levels of “Kohlberg’s stages of moral development are Pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional morality”. The phases of pre-conventional morality are self-interest, and obedience and punishment. At this level morality is evaluated in terms of the direct consequences of an action. Conventional level entails meeting expectations of others and upholding laws to meet societal expectations. At this level morality of an action is established via comparisons with society’s expectations and views. Post-conventional level aims at personal values that are geared towards attaining social consciousness and self assortment of general ethical principles. At this level there is a comprehension that a person is a separate entity from the society, and his or her viewpoint may take primacy. As the chief of police understanding the levels and stages of moral development is vital, as it will help in creating policies, structures, systems, and regulation that will gear the law enforcers towards living an ethical career life.
As the chief of police, I will comprehensively address each level, in order to ensure that the guidelines that my department outlines are more precise in ensuring that law enforces observe ethics in the line of duty and they work within the jurisdiction of our sector. In respect to the level of pre-conventional I will denote that the law enforcers have to evaluate their actions against direct consequences, if the consequences are harmful then the undertaking is immoral and will attract punishment. In regard to the conventional state I will indicate that the officers have to measure their actions in respect to the expectations of the society. Therefore, their actions should be structure in a manner that meets the expectations of the society in respect to our docket. In respect to the post-conventional level I will denote that an officer is regarded as a separate entity from the society, thus he or she will be held responsible of his or her actions regardless of the perception of the society (Zizek, Garz, and Nowak, 2015).
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My officers will evaluate Kohlberg’s stages of moral development with the aim to determine categories of criminals that are depicted at various stages of moral development. For instance, an individual who indulges in the act of undermining or overlooking contractual terms is classified under the level of post-conventional development. This is due to the fact that at this level an individual’s perspective or undertaking takes precedence over the society. My offices will also use the underlying theory of moral development to determine that a criminal is under the pre-conventional level as a crime at this level is associated with obedience, punishment, and direct consequences. In addition, the theory helps my offices to establish criminal activities that are connected to the conventional level as they are linked maintaining social order and authority of the society (Kakkori, and Huttunen, 2016). Therefore, the premise of moral development theory enables law enforcers to categories various crimes into the stages and level of ethical development that they fall in.
Corruption is a vice that jeopardizes transparent and efficiency within the police department. This is due to the fact that the police officers demand bribes in order to offer services that they are obligated to undertake. Therefore, as the chief of police it is important to put in place strategies that will shun the vice of corruption among the police. Self-interest is geared towards acting in a manner that puts first an individual’s personal interest at the center. Therefore, in my line of duty I will emphases on the need to better the living conditions and standards of the police in order for them to concentrate on serving the society rather than self-invested issues. Also, I will incorporate programs that give police officers an opportunity to engage in recreational activities; thus, minimizing the chances of them indulging in corruption to acquire resources for recreation activities. Therefore, I will be more into incorporating precautionary measures rather than preventive procedures.
There are several ‘Prima facie duties’ that each law enforcement officer is required to abide by. ‘prima facie’ implies that a principle is obligatory unless it is inconsistency with another ethical code. Justice is a ‘prima face duty’ that each law enforcing officer is required to follow with due respect. As law enforcers it is our obligation to ensure that justice is served to all in the society regardless of their status or class in the society. Therefore, each law enforcer should not discriminate any individual on the basis of ethnic or racial ground. Also, fidelity is another ‘prima facie duty’ each law enforcement officer is requisite to observe with due esteem. The underlying obligation is important within the law enforcement docket, due to the fact that it instills the sense of honoring contractual terms. Furthermore, it keeps the officers alert as they understand that any deception will put them on the limelight. Therefore, the law enforcement officers are keen in observing this obligation, in order to evade the wrath of the law.
Harm-prevention is another ‘prima facie duty’ each law enforcement officer is required to observe. The police sector has fundamental principles which govern the law enforcement docket. Protecting individuals from harm is among the basic factors governing the docket of the law enforcers. Therefore, any police officer who does not undertake the initiative of protecting the society breaches his or her contractual terms. This situation may lead to punishment or expulsion of the officer from the police docket. Furthermore, beneficence is another ‘prima facie duty’ each police office is required to undertake. Each law enforcement officer has a moral obligation to act in a manner that ensure or means good to others (Kakkori, and Huttunen, 2016). Consequently, it is my responsibility as the chief of the police to ensure that schemes, systems, and policies are put in place to ensure that law enforcement officers observe the ‘prima facie duties’ of the police sector. Moreover, as the chief of police I have to be precise and diligent in undertaking an oversight role in order to ensure efficiency with the police task force.
References
Kakkori, L. & Huttunen, R. (2016). The Gilligan-Kohlberg Controversy and Its Philosophic- Historical Roots: retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311319549_The_Gilligan- Kohlberg_Controversy_and_Its_Philosophico-Historical_Roots/download
Zizek, B., Garz, D., & Nowak, E. (2015). Kohlberg Revisited: Moral Development and Citizenship Education: retrieved fromhttps://www.sensepublishers.com/media/2315- kohlberg-revisited.pdf
