Is it Okay for Police to Lie?
Terry L. Mitchell
June 05, 2009
For a long time, police and other law enforcement officials have utilized the tactic of lying to or otherwise deceiving suspects and persons of interest. They are generally allowed to do this with impunity.
However, when anyone is caught lying to a police officer, he or she is subject to stern prosecution. That doesnīt seem right to me. Lying is either okay or itīs not. Itīs either right or itīs wrong.
It amazes me that some of the folks who are the most vocal about decrying situational ethics have no problem with police lying as a routine part of their "jobs." Shame on these people! Of course, they will claim that if all the cumulative lying ever done by police officers helps get even one bad person off the streets, then it is justified.
Iīm sorry, but I do not believe that any end, no matter how desirable, ever justifies dishonest means. But, then again, perhaps there are some rare exceptions when law enforcement offers must lie to dangerous thugs in order to protect innocent people from imminent physical harm, but those cases would be few and far between.
But if we are going to allow police officers to lie at other times, then those to whom they lie should be allowed one free lie (to the cops) for each of those incidents. That would only seem fair and equitable to me.
However, when anyone is caught lying to a police officer, he or she is subject to stern prosecution. That doesnīt seem right to me. Lying is either okay or itīs not. Itīs either right or itīs wrong.
It amazes me that some of the folks who are the most vocal about decrying situational ethics have no problem with police lying as a routine part of their "jobs." Shame on these people! Of course, they will claim that if all the cumulative lying ever done by police officers helps get even one bad person off the streets, then it is justified.
Iīm sorry, but I do not believe that any end, no matter how desirable, ever justifies dishonest means. But, then again, perhaps there are some rare exceptions when law enforcement offers must lie to dangerous thugs in order to protect innocent people from imminent physical harm, but those cases would be few and far between.
But if we are going to allow police officers to lie at other times, then those to whom they lie should be allowed one free lie (to the cops) for each of those incidents. That would only seem fair and equitable to me.
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