Truthfulness

Truthfulness: Should Police Officers Who Lie Be Terminated as a Matter of Public Policy?
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Abstract
The rights of employees are in a powerful position nowadays. Termination of employment is justified if public policy objectives drive it and prove that the decision that led to the termination is legitimate and justifiable. In 2007, Elliot Spector published an article that explained Court decisions regarding actions taken against lying police officers. The report explained that lying could lead to the termination of an officer. The main question addressed in this essay whether police officers who lie should be terminated as a matter of public policy (Spector, 2008). This essay argues that termination is fair, justified since the act of lying by a police officer makes it hard for Law enforcement agencies to perform the duties owed to the public effectively and undermines the expected level of efficiency and effectiveness of police departments. Furthermore, in several cases, the court has stated that termination of police officers based on untruthfulness is justified (Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild v. Kitsap County, 2007).
Keywords: Deterrence, public policy, Termination, Fairness, and justification.
Should Police Officers Who Lie Be Terminated as a Matter of Public Policy?
Terminating the employment of lying police officers is necessary. To explain this, I would equate this situation to a teacher who has threatened to suspend students who misbehave in school. Deterrence is only achieved if the threat is followed to the letter. If the teacher decides to let misbehavior slide without suspending the said students, the significance of such a threat will be lost. In Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff's Guild v. Kitsap County (2007), the court supported this decision to take action against misconduct. The case involved the termination of employment of an untruthful sheriff. The court upheld the decision to fire the sheriff and argued that the termination was based on public policy. The issue of fairness then arises. Is it fair to go ahead and terminate the employment of such officers for merely lying?
It is my view that termination of such police officers is fair for various reasons. The first one is based on the concept of fair play that supports arguments that an individual enjoys a couple of benefits only because of the cooperation of other members of society. Therefore, it is only fitting that such the individual reciprocates these benefits to the public by cooperating in turn. Therefore, this school of thought means that when a police officer fails to obey the rules and engages in dishonesty, he takes unfair advantage of the public and the law enforcement agencies. It is only fair that action is taken against him.
Further, when the police officer lies to achieve something, he acquires a double advantage that is impossible to reverse by forcing the officer constantly to tell the truth. Termination of such officers will affirm the belief that it is wrong to take advantage of the public whose cooperation makes the rule of law possible. Therefore, based on the Kantian theory of reciprocity, the termination is fair, as it will re...