Case Scenario:
In about 4 months, you will be graduating from the police academy. Your friend, Jim, works at the same precinct to which you are applying. You know that upon your employment with the law enforcement agency, you may be required to take a polygraph test with questions about prior arrests, drug use, or theft—any questions that could disqualify you as a police officer. Your friend tells you to lie on the questionnaire and not to include information from your old college days when you both were arrested for marijuana possession. Although the case was dismissed, it still is in the court system. Jim stated that his district does not employ the polygraph; it just has a questionnaire. Jim admitted to lying on his questionnaire to seek his employment.
- Are ethics limited to duty, or does it extend to personal desires?
- What are the implications of lying on a questionnaire even though the department may not find out the truth?
- What would you gain if the truth was told?
- If you do tell the truth, would you include the information regarding your friend, explaining that you and your friend were arrested?
- Discuss the implications of including your arrest and the implications for including your friend. Use theoretical concepts associated with ethics to help you determine the consequences (good or bad) associated with immoral behaviors and how you formulate your decision.
Write your answer in 2 to 4 paragraphs in APA format and also include references.