Ethical & Effective Leadership: Reflections & Exemplary

Work
Samuel Jimenez
University of San Diego
LEPS 599 Integrative Capstone
Professor Hodge
February 19, 2017
 Throughout the different courses offered in the University of San Diego’s Law Enforcement and

Public Safety Leadership Master’s Program, a prevalent theme is ethics and effective leadership. It is

important to promote ethical and effective leadership. As law enforcement leaders we are held to a

higher standard by the members of the communities we have sworn to serve and protect. The three

pieces of work I have selected that are relevant to promoting ethical and effective leadership for law

enforcement and public safety organizations are: Memorandum to the Chief regarding Drone

Surveillance, Memorandum to the Chief regarding Super- Body Worn Cameras, and Choosing the

Right Medium for the Message: Case Study.

In the Memorandum to the Chief regarding Drone Surveillance, the issue presented was whether I

should deploy my drone to capture video of the backyard and of the house of a possible narcotics

subject without a warrant. A key issue community members and legislators articulated was the

potential right of privacy abuses that citizens could be subject to. Although the use of drones by law

enforcement officers raised privacy concerns amongst citizens about reasonable and unreasonable

searches, the US Supreme Court addressed those issues in Katz v. United States which outlined the

parameters of an unreasonable search. The memorandum regarding drone surveillance promotes

ethical and effective leadership because it reminds law enforcement professionals that they must act

in accordance to the law. If members of the community question the deployment of drones by an

agency, that agency can clarify any potential misunderstanding by referencing case laws. Hence,

clearing the agency of any misconstrued ethical wrongdoing.

The next selection that promotes ethical and effective leadership for law enforcement and public

safety organizations is the Memorandum to the Chief regarding Super- Body Worn Cameras. In this

scenario, police officers are using Super- Body Worn Cameras to obtain identity-related information,

without the subjects knowing that their voice, face, and DNA were being captured—and secretly

stored in the Department’s cloud. This memorandum promotes ethical and effective leadership

because although the super- body worn cameras have been assisting officers in solving crimes, the
ethical thing to do is to obtain consent prior to deploying the super- body worn camera rather than

secretly obtaining personal information such as DNA. Furthermore, obtaining consent from the

public can encourage dialogue between the community and law enforcement officers that can

strengthen the leadership of a law enforcement or public safety organization.

Lastly, the selection Choosing the Right Medium for the Message: Case Study is about a press

conference given by Polk Sheriff Grady Judd in reference to a deputy involved shooting. Sheriff Judd

relayed information in the press conference in a transparent way. Transparency allows for honest

communication with the public about an incident in their community. By using a transparent method

of communication, Sheriff Judd was able to ease any tension or doubt by members of the local

community and the media about the deputy involved shooting. This case study promotes ethical and

effective leadership because Sheriff Judd’s transparency demonstrated his deputies acted

appropriately given the situation. The Sheriff’s press conference also served as an example of

effective leadership because he boosted the morale of the police officers and deputies who work in

the county by commending them publicly for their actions and courage.

These works connect with my profession as a law enforcement officer because these are

contemporary issues that law enforcement officers and leaders are facing in the 21st century. For

example, the issue of drones is something we are already experiencing in the city of Los Angeles.

The use of drones could help protect officers and others by collecting crucial information during

high-risk situations or searches without risking their safety. However, privacy advocates and police

critics, fear unwarranted surveillance or fears of militarized, weapon-toting devices patrolling the

skies. Body worn cameras are becoming the norm for most police departments. For those police

departments that have yet to implement them, I would say it is just a matter of time before they do.

Lastly, with different fatal police officer shootings happening across the country, members of the

community demand transparency and accountability. Nonetheless, as law enforcement leaders we

must be resilient, remain ethical, and continue to find ways of becoming effective leaders.
URL to ePortfolio: (link to my ePortfolio) https://samjimenez.weebly.com/

(direct link to the assignment) https://samjimenez.weebly.com/portfolio.html