Assignment:
Apply the five-step process of Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas to evaluate this situation and conclude with an appropriate course of action by Officer Banks regarding Officer Case's misconduct.
Scenario:
Rob Banks graduated from the police academy and is now a rookie officer who is starting his six months of training with Field Training Officer, Justin Case. Officer Case is supervising Officer Banks during the 4 p.m. to midnight shift. At 11:00 p.m., Officer Banks and Officer Case are dispatched to a burglary in progress at the University City Ball Park concession stand. Jane Chatman was walking her dog near the ballpark when she heard a loud crash near the concession stand. Chatman walked toward the concession stand to investigate the noise. As Chatman neared the concession stand, she saw three teenage boys ransacking the place. Chatman quietly walked away from the concession stand and called the police department to report the burglary.
When Officer Banks and Officer Case arrive at the ballpark, the perpetrators had already fled. Officer Banks said, "The concession stand is a mess it appears the perpetrators have stolen numerous items, where do we start?" Officer Case replied, "Officer Banks, first, I want you to contact the police dispatcher and have them get in touch with the director of the ballpark and ask the director to respond to the concession stand. We need the director to tell us what is missing and the value of the items for our report." Chatman saw the officers arrive at the ballpark and walked over to the concession stand and said, "Hi, my name is Jane Chatman and I am the one who called the police department to report the burglary."
Officer Case thanked Chatman for reporting the crime, and told Officer Banks, "Go ahead and get Chatman's information and see if she will write a statement as to what she saw. Remember to ask her to give you a description of the juveniles she saw." While Officer Banks was writing down Chatman's information for the police report, he saw Officer Case picked up a piece of double-bubble gum off the counter in the concession stand. Officer Case then removed the gum from the wrapper, tossed the wrapper on the floor, put the gum in his mouth, and walked over to meet the director of the ballpark who just arrived at the scene.
Chatman looks at Officer Case and then back at Officer Banks and shakes her head back and forth, indicating her disappointment in what just occurred. After getting all the information from Chatman and the director, Officer Banks and Officer Case return to the police station to complete their police report. Officer Case continued to chew the bubble gum and blew bubbles with the gum while typing his report.