Review Chapters 16 & 17 in the Banks textbook. Read the discussion case at the end of the chapter (page 382).   

In essay format 1-2 pages double spaced in APA format, Analyze the discussion case listed below by applying the general steps on how to analyze or solve an ethical dilemma (from Chapter 1).  Define and explain the ethic of care approach.  Apply the specific steps for the ethic of care approach to the discussion case.  Be sure to explain what Chief Bloom should do to resolve the situation using the ethic of care approach.  I suggest you review Case Study 17.1 (pages 378-381) for an example of how to do this assignment. 

Discussion Case

 Mary Bloom is a chief of police. She worked her way up through the ranks, starting as a patrol officer at a time when women police officers were not taken seriously and were allocated tasks such as doing secretarial work, acting as matrons, or working with juveniles. In those days, the idea that a woman police officer could go on patrol like a male officer was considered laughable. Male officers, on the other hand, were assumed capable of being patrolmen, and no one used the term patrolwoman.

As a new recruit, Mary was the victim of practices that can variously be described as practical jokes, hazing, initiation rituals, or discrimination. One time, her field-training officer (FTO) told her to inventory the contents of a squad car, and when she opened the door, there was a large snake there! She recognized it as a harmless species, picked it up, and brought it to her FTO, whose turn it now was to be startled. She noted that other recruits were also subjected to these antics, such as being sent to the maintenance section for a sawdust pump, being told to fetch a “group tightener” to place on the end of a service weapon to improve aim, or finding shaving cream in their hats just before inspection.

Those officers who just accepted these jokes and didn’t complain were accepted, but the complaining officers were not. Mary opted not to make a fuss, and after a while, the jokes diminished, and she became accepted. Later, she herself participated in these antics with the rookie police. As she climbed through the ranks, she noticed that these practices did not interfere with the daily police work because they happened during slow periods or after especially stressful events, when officers needed some relaxation and amusement.

Being promoted to police chief put Mary in charge of a large metropolitan area. She was the first female police chief, and one issue that she needed to pay attention to, following a request from the city manager, was the police department—minority officers made up only 3% of the force, and among the 300 officers, only two sergeants were minorities. As well, she was the only female above the rank of patrol officer. Responding to the need to bring in minorities, Mary went on a recruitment drive, and after four years, there was adequate minority representation. However, the issue was not dead.

Members of the African American Law Enforcement Officers Association (AALEOA) and the Hispanic-American Law Enforcement Officers Association (HALEOA) were not satisfied. They claimed there existed an undercurrent of racism among command officers and supervisors, and at least one independent study confirmed this. They wanted this issue addressed, and Mary responded by organizing a series of seminars concerned with cultural diversity and sensitization. Every officer completed at least 16 hours of this training. In spite of this, the AALEOA and HALEOA members continued to voice their concerns and now began to allege being victims of “pranks” organized by senior officers. Mary’s command officers told her that these pranks were not racially motivated and were a ritual that all new recruits underwent, but the minority associations’ members remained unconvinced and believed the practices were discriminatory and racially biased.

Question: After analyzing this issue applying an ethic of care approach, what should Chief Bloom do to resolve the situation?

Required Reference

Banks, C. (2020). Criminal justice ethics (5^th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.  ISBN-13: 978-1544353593, ISBN-10: 1544353596

Ethics of Care Approach

Also known as feminist ethics, ethics of care is primarily concerned with caring for others. This has evolved from the need to care for those who cannot care for themselves, such as infants. It is a system that assists us in our relations with other people and thereby strengthens how we positively interact with people. The concept of ethics of care is consistent with many peace-keeping and peace-making roles within law enforcement (Braswell and Gold from Pollock, 2007). Officers routinely find themselves refereeing non-assault domestic and civil arguments while attempting to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Ethics of care is, at times, an important perspective for law enforcement officers when they see a person in need and decide to perform an act of care or kindness. Officers who perform a caring act are, according to ethics of care, acting out of compassion rather from a sense of duty; it is within this context that ethics of care can be a reminder to law enforcement officers that often an ethical solution may be to make peace through consensus and understanding, rather than resolve issues formally through charges.

Ethics of care also supports the notion that issues should be resolved with compassion while building human relationships. In this way, a person should strive to build relationships with the community or individuals. With individuals, the building of rapport is critical to providing compassion to those in crisis and/or need.