Conflict of Interest in Policing: Problems, Practices, and Principles

Citation

Jaeckle, T. (2010), "Conflict of Interest in Policing: Problems, Practices, and Principles", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 399-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511011044966

Conflict of Interest in Policing is a well‐written and effectively researched book which is certain to become a useful foundation on which to differentially approach policing ethics as a whole. This insightful work provides a deeper look into the practicalities and challenges of a variety of conflict of interest(s) police officers may face in the personal (off‐duty/private citizen) and professional realms (on‐duty as a police officer). Although Davids' research is situated within the Victoria Police Force (Australia), she initially establishes that the two primary issues of integrity and trust are paramount in all law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

In chapters one and two, Davids approaches the concept of conflict of interest in policing within the wider context of ethics, corruption, and accountability. For the purposes of this study, she defines a conflict of interest as a clash between two key factors, private interests and official or public duty. Davids additionally highlights the importance of trust between the police and the public and examines the often detrimental effects of its breach. Through the use of interviews, review of complaints, and departmental investigations and procedures, Davids identifies numerous types of conflicts of interest that elevate the risk and divides these into personal and professional activities. The categories of conflict(s) in the personal realm include organizational involvement (outside/post employment, political/other associational involvement), family‐based involvement (personal family conduct/relationships), and problematic personal relationships (personal relationships/sexually impropriety). Davids also identifies categories of conflict(s) in the professional realm as use and abuse of police powers and authority (undue influence, preferential treatment, self‐dealing, use of police power to harass, and exercise of improper influence in civil matters); use and abuse of police resources (use of confidential information/government property); and other aspects of police officers' actions that may signify conflicts of interests (accepting benefits and gratuities, personal conduct/breach of law on/off duty, self‐dealing).

In chapter three, Davids tackles the often problematic subject and process of investigating accountability of the actions of Victoria police officers. She adds that there is frequent difficulty in separating police misconduct at an operational level, explaining that conflicts of interest can potentially exist as a precursor to or cause of corruption. Davids argues that the regulatory, enforcement, and disciplinary process of the Victoria Force allows for the categorization of these breaches under broader rules, thus becoming a challenge to differentiate variables for this study. However, Davids effectively manages this issue with her discrete use and identification of analytically distinct categories in both the work and non‐work contexts.

In chapters four, five, and six, Davids provides an interesting discussion and analysis of her findings. One of the key variables she ascertains in these chapters is the influence of the power of the public perception of a conflict of interest between personal lives and daily police duties. Given the inevitable overlap of these two, she is careful to note that she has only examined a range of identifiable circumstances in the private and public realm in which the police officers have substantiated breaches and conflicts, omitting unconfirmed cases and complaints.

In the final chapter, Davids provides a discerning conclusion that emphasizes a number of implications for the entire policing ethics arena. She identified four major points from her research:

1. 1.

   a solid understanding of the problem requires a clear explanation of the sources of conflict of interest in both the private and public realms;

2. 2.

   a wide range of breach of duty may be directly or indirectly related to conflicts of interest;

3. 3.

   individual police officers and managers frequently have a limited understanding of the complicated problem of conflict of interest and its relationship to neglecting duty; and

4. 4.

   it is essential to also examine the question of holding police officers accountable for appearance or perceptions as well as actual breaches of duty given the importance of the erosion of public trust.

Furthermore, Davids offers superb suggestions and thoughtful ideas on efficient governance of these issues for all police organizations to consider. She centrally emphasizes the need to examine more closely the reactive system initiated upon a formal complaint of a breach, which can lead to a limited understanding of the exact conflict by both the police officer and managers and encourages a more proactive standard. This book is without question an important addition to the dialogue on policing ethics and I highly recommend this for all levels of policing administrators.