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Orlando Sentinel
12 August 2009

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Ethics in Policing

Even cops can't avoid the dark

The past couple of weeks have been rough for Florida law enforcement.

In Lake County, veteran Lt. Nick Pallitto resigned for using a Sheriff's Office computer to access thousands of pornographic images and hundreds of videos.

A Lake Sheriff's Office information-technology supervisor also resigned because he failed to report he knew about the porn in Pallitto's computer.

In Marion County, officials say Deputy Darius Harper was spotted exchanging cash with a known prostitute for sex acts. Two other Marion deputies were arrested on unrelated charges, one accused of illegally purchasing prescription medicine, the other accused of battering his pregnant wife.

Orange County Deputy Steven Smith was arrested, accused of domestic assault on his wife in Tavares.

And Fort Lauderdale prosecutors dropped a DUI charge against a woman after discovering a recording that showed Hollywood police officers allegedly conspiring to shift blame for a vehicle accident on the woman. Five officers are being investigated in that case.

The series of embarrassments illustrates how police officers, despite their positions of authority, are as human as the rest of us: They can succumb to temptation. They can be haunted by personal demons. They might want to avoid detection. "Law-enforcement officers are people, too," said Ross Wolf, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida and former Orange County detective who has researched law-enforcement-officer behavior.

Though recent incidents might bring to mind a Cops Gone Wild reality show, some key statewide trends suggest just the opposite.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement numbers from 2004-08 show a decline in the number of law-enforcement officers having their police certifications revoked � from 63 in 2004 to 33 last year.

Wolf said the vast majority of police officers know to do the right thing. A smaller percentage know that doing the wrong thing might mean they will get caught and get in trouble.

And then there's a smaller group � perhaps 1 percent or 2 percent of the whole, he said � who will do the wrong thing regardless of consequences. Some officers, Wolf and other experts say, slide down a "slippery slope" after indulging in minor indiscretions.

"You do something and say, 'Hmm, nobody caught me, so it's not that big a deal,'" Wolf said.

'The best inoculation against corruption'
Academics say it's important for supervisors to understand the extent of police misconduct when it occurs.

"Is it a bad apple, or is the barrel a bad barrel?" asked Doug Ward, director of the Division of Public Safety Leadership at Johns Hopkins University. "Good, first-line supervision is the best inoculation against corruption and lots of these problems."

Capt. Angelo Nieves with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said supervisors communicate with deputies to head off behavioral issues before they turn into something bigger. Trainings and annual evaluations also help reinforce the overall department expectations.

Deputies are also made aware of the department's Employee Assistance Program. Free, confidential counseling is made available for those who seek it. Some officers are required to take part in the program.

Orlando police have the Early Intervention Program, which kicks in with required supervisory review when police officers reach certain numbers of complaints from the public or use-of-force episodes.

"It's a good policy to give direction as issues arise," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, an Orlando police spokeswoman. "A lot of it [heading off misconduct] is supervision and being in tune with what's going on with your subordinates."

The Lake County Sheriff's Office screens applicants carefully and follows up with regular communication between supervisors and their deputies.

"Each employee is given an extensive background check prior to employment, and each employee receives a formal annual evaluation," Cpl. Jim Vachon said.

Ward said stress associated with police work can cause some officers to become "less risk averse" and more of an "action junkie," sometimes leading to inappropriate or damaging behavior.

"All that stress over all those years can take a toll," Ward said, citing rates of suicide and alcoholism among police officers that are above average.

More eyes are watching behavior
The recent rash of bad police behavior does not necessarily mean more bad cops are patrolling the streets today, experts say. What it does mean, they suggest, is improved technology, better record-keeping and greater accountability demanded by the public have led to more eyes watching.

Now when an officer runs a red light with a camera and causes an accident, the public and the officer's agency learn about it almost immediately. "Since the advent of patrol in-car cameras, you're seeing them [instances of misconduct] come to light because of the video," Ward said. "I'm not saying there are more incidents, but more incidents come to light. With these cameras, we're seeing officers doing bad stuff."

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Orlando Sentinel12 August 2009

Even cops can't avoid the dark

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Orlando Sentinel
12 August 2009