Resolving Ethical Dilemmas in Law Enforcement: A Case Study Analysis

Analyzing the Ethical Dilemma

The scenario involves law enforcement, trust in the community, and the well-being of at-

risk youth; finally, all of these are framed in a complex ethical dilemma. The police officer, the

teenagers, the business owner, the local community, and the whole law enforcement system are

the primary stakeholders. At the core are ethical issues relating to strict law enforcement or

discretionary decision-making about justice and public trust, as well as the long-term impacts of

such decisions. Arresting the teenagers fulfills the principle of upholding the law and meeting the

business owner’s demand for justice. It could worsen community and law enforcement tensions,

especially if the youth feel falsely targeted. It could also cause these folks to hop into the

criminal justice system, which has difficulty helping people achieve rehabilitation. On the other

hand, failing to punish them could weaken the law and destroy the business owner’s confidence

in the police. A middle ground might be issuing a warning or involving a community program to

serve accountability while building trust and rehabilitation.

Applying Ethical Frameworks

Utilitarianism: Maximizing Overall Well-being

Philosophers developing this concept are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill;

utilitarianism is the actions that generate the most happiness and harm (Tardi, 2024). In this

framework, the officer is required to select the best choice in the long term, which will benefit all

the stakeholders. Arresting the teenagers may please the business owner but it may worsen the

relations between the community and police and may ruin the youth’s future. However, if we

don’t let them go with consequences, it may further help them carry misconduct and make
people stop trusting law enforcement. An alternative resolution that would be favored on a

utilitarian basis, for example, might be community service or a restorative justice program in

which the teenagers are accountable for their actions without being severely punished in a legal

sense (Marseille & Kahn, 2020). This solution addresses the business owner’s good community

relations. This approach is consistent with utilitarian principles because it prevents harm to the

public trust and the youth in the future.

Deontology: Duty and Moral Obligations

According to Immanuel Kant, deontology requires the moral duty to follow moral

principles without looking to perspective, the morally correct action is to arrest the teenagers,

and this is so because the officer has a duty to enforce the law, the precedent would be set that

lawbreaking is acceptable (Barrow & Khandhar, 2023). Kantian ethics also stipulates that

individuals should be treated as ends, not as means. Deontological principles would still be

followed if the officer can still take alternative actions like issuing a warning or connecting the

teenagers in a diversion program (Tseng & Wang, 2021).

Justifying the Most Appropriate Approach

Both frameworks have some valid arguments, but utilitarianism is the most balanced

resolution to the case in question. The role of law enforcement should be that of a punishment,

and not only that, but must also be a social stability mediator (Marseille & Kahn, 2020). On the

other hand, a utilitarian approach takes a broad view on the broader consequences and takes

rehabilitation instead of punishment. Moreover, the proposed solution of community service or

restorative justice to hold the youth accountable is a just solution to the community justice

without harming relations for the long term. Alternative interventions such as restorative justice
programs reduce recidivism and build trust between law enforcement and public (Tseng & Wang,

2021). Consequently, utilitarianism is consistent with effective, community-bas policing by

prioritizing the best overall result.

Conclusion

In summary, this case study on a well-known case of ethical decision-making-making in law

enforcement shows how complex this issue of ethics is in law enforcement. This is only

important in so far as officers uphold the law, but they should also take into account what the

social impact of a decision could be. The exercise shows that almost all the ethical dilemmas

involve reconciling various moral principles. A utilitarian an approach would be better than

deontology in most cases, as it allows more pragmatic or community-oriented solutions. In the

end, it may be best to use a composite ethical framework. Utilitarianism tells you to follow the

path that will result in the most positive outcomes; deontology has the officers think about justice

and their duty to act accordingly. When these are integrated, law enforcement is able to retain

legal integrity even when building better and more trust-based relationships with communities

they serve.
 References

Barrow, J. M., & Khandhar, P. B. (2023, August 8). Deontology. National Library of Medicine;

StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459296/

Marseille, E., & Kahn, J. G. (2020). Utilitarianism and the Ethical Foundations of cost-

effectiveness Analysis in Resource Allocation for Global Health. Philosophy, Ethics, and

Humanities in Medicine, 14(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-019-0074-7

Tardi, C. (2024, May 6). Utilitarianism: What it is, founders, and main principles. Investopedia.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/utilitarianism.asp

Tseng, P.-E., & Wang, Y.-H. (2021). Deontological or utilitarian? An eternal ethical dilemma in

outbreak. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16),

1–13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391290/