Ethical Issues in Policing

Police Studies constitute an important area of academic inquiry and policing raises a large number of ethical questions, yet to date there has been a paucity of research on the subject. This significant volume provides an integrated mix of ethico-philosophical analysis combined with practitioner knowledge and experience to examine and address the large number of difficult ethical questions involved in modern-day policing. Key features: ¢ Outlines a distinctive philosophical theory of policing which promotes the human rights dimension of police work. ¢ Analyzes the phenomenon of noble cause corruption and ways to combat it. ¢ Examines the role of restorative justice. ¢ Discusses the related notions of police authority and police discretion. ¢ Assesses the use of coercive and deadly force. ¢ Provides a detailed discussion of recent issues such as privacy and confidentiality in the context of new communication and information technologies, and entrapment. Philosophical in approach and written in an accessible style, the book will be a valuable guide for all those with an interest or involvement in Police Studies, Criminology, Philosophy and Ethics.

Contents: Introduction; A theory of policing: the enforcement of moral rights; Authority and discretion in policing; The moral justification for police use of deadly force; Privacy, confidentiality and security in policing; Corruption and anti-corruption in policing; Restorative justice in policing; Bibliography; Index.

Seumas Miller is Professor of Philosophy at Charles Sturt University and the Australian National University (joint position) and Director of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (an Australian Research Council funded Special Research Centre). John Blackler is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (an Australian Research Council funded Special Research Centre) and a former New South Wales Police Officer.