Fidelity required of law enforcement personnel

[Kerry]

A news report I'd like to read:

The Big Island Police Commissioner has announced that marital fidelity is now required of all law enforcement personnel. Couples must honor the implicit and explicit agreements.

Most police departments have an implied policy of truth-telling and honesty however, research shows that the vast majority of "good" cops  know of one or more fellow officers who are perpetrating a deception.¹ This same non-verbal-complicity applies to police department spouses, all of whom (yes all) know of one or more officers that shouldn't be allowed to interact with civilians or, know about an unethical situation that thwarts the Chief's stated intentions (also referred to as covert sabotage).²

Most new police officers "Rookies" discover many perpetrations are being committed by veteran offices;³ they also discover that there is no effective way of restoring the integrity of the department except to be labeled as a trouble-maker, a Serpico (snitch). Therefore, they must compromise their integrity daily so as to maintain their job. These compromises, enabling deceptions and deceits, affect an officer's ability to be with citizens. They drag thoughts that can't be communicated responsibly into each new interaction affecting all outcomes. Withholds serve as barriers to the experience of communication.

¹  Deceptions/perpetrations: Padding mileage reports, showing up late or quitting early, covert racism, spouse abuse, drugs/alcohol issues, sloppy incomplete forms, not following up, not doing what is supposed to be done or trash-talking the Chief. And, more importantly, the Leadership Communication Model used within a police department doesn't support open, honest, and spontaneous communications, it supports deceptions and withholding significant thoughts.

² Sabotage: West Point graduate General Petraeus, and his spouse (the equally powerful enabler), was cheating on his spouse while commanding all the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later while serving as the Director of the CIA. Subordinates knew and kept silent, all denying the correlation between ones personal integrity and results. His girl friend (an unconscious thwarter) negatively affected everyone's results. One can't help but wonder what results an officer of impeccable integrity would have produced.

³ Here on the Big Island of Hawaii many civilians know a former high school buddy who used to use, grow, and sell marijuana, who is now a police officer. This reveals that the person in charge of interviewing and screening applicants is both unconscious and him/herself dragging around unacknowledged perpetrations, therefore they couldn't experience the out-integrity of the applicant.

Complimentary readings:

West Point Academy Scandals
Next step in law enforcement?
Police, blaming—responsibility
Police confronting intention
Date rape—liken to a police "sting" operation.

Last edited 1/6/24