ABSTRACT
Ethics in criminal justice is one of the most popular topics in current teaching curriculums today. It is increasingly difficult to receive a two- or four-year degree in criminal justice without having a class in ethics. Introductory textbooks on the police today typically will have a chapter on police ethics. An increasing number of textbooks are devoted to ethics. According to the value-neutral perspective, officers are not screened for their value predispositions, except for general factors of honesty, psychological stability, and evidence of criminal history. Pre-service training and assignment to a training officer are the socialization and education process that teach someone how to think like a police officer. Many people have suggested that pre-service training contributes substantially to the process of local socialization. If a police officer approaches a citizen and suspects that the citizen may have committed a crime or is about to commit a crime, the officer has a legal tool at her disposal.
