Assignment Task:
Officer Joe is a community police officer for Horizon Point, a retirement community. One July morning he responded to a call regarding a residential burglary. The victim was an elderly woman named Madge. While taking the report, Joe noticed that Madge's apartment was uncomfortably warm. Madge apologized for the heat, but said that her air conditioner was broken and that she had no money to have it repaired on her fixed and limited income. Joe happens to supplement his income by doing small repair jobs, including air conditioning. He took a quick look at her A/C unit, and saw the problem immediately. Joe knew that the parts wouldn't be very expensive. Now he is considering offering to come back after his shift is over and working on Madge's A/C. Joe rationalizes that a repair service might cheat Marge out of hundreds of dollars that she cannot afford. He could do it for the cost of parts, plus a minimal fee.
Evaluate the situation using two of the four ethical frameworks for decision-making we have focused on in this class. Consider the law enforcement code of conduct and any other material you deem relevant to consider.
Then, assume you are Officer Joe. What would one do and why?