INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNERS
Code of Ethics, Values, and Professional Conduct For Law Enforcement Planners (Click for PDF version of the document)
I. Responsibilities to the Public
A. Advocate the identification and clarification of community values, needs, interests, and goals within the scope of the planning process.
B. Communicate clearly and fully to decision makers the results and implications of information affecting the public or in the public interest.
C. Advocate providing the full, clear, and accurate disclosure of all relevant information on issues affecting the public or in the public’s interest.
D. Inform all parties and give public disclosure, and provide professional recommendations, in situations where the public may be adversely affected.
E. Advocate providing opportunities for meaningful participation in the planning process to all interested parties, including disadvantaged or under represented groups or individuals.
F. Advocate for the inclusion of the community-oriented and problem-solving principles in law enforcement planning.
G. Attempt to responsibly balance the often conflicting and competing values, needs, and interests in the society in order to best serve the entire community.
H. Respect the rights of all persons, including the avoidance of all discrimination against or harassment of individuals or groups.
I. Respect the public’s rights of privacy and confidentiality.
J. Analyze the interrelatedness of planning decisions to other planning needs and goals of the agency and of the community.
K. Analyze the long-term consequences of current planning needs and goals of the agency and of the community.
II. Responsibilities to One’s Agency
A. Respect the agency’s right or need for confidentiality.
B. Inform one’s agency of any conflict between the agency’s values, needs, or interests versus the public’s values, needs, or interests.
C. Inform one’s agency of any potential adversity to the values, needs, or interests of the agency or the public.
D. Disseminate analytical reports to affected organizational members or units.
E. Propose methods and solutions that are practical and cost effective in order to provide for the most efficient use of public resources.
F. Ensure that planning goals support the goals, values, and mission of the agency.
III. Responsibilities to Law Enforcement Planning
A. Participate in professional law enforcement and planning associations, contributing time and effort toward their goals and mission.
B. Advocate professional, research-based planning in law enforcement agencies, including periodic review and evaluation of programs and services to assess their effectiveness and continued need.
IV. Responsibilities to Colleagues
A. Contribute to the professional education, training and development of other law enforcement planners, including students, interns, and beginning planners.
B. Share information and the results of research and development (e.g., innovations, ideas, results, concerns), including responding to requests, submitting information to repositories and directories, participating at meetings, and publishing articles.
C. Give credit to others’ work and ideas (i.e., cite references and sources) and avoid taking false credit.
V. Personal Responsibilities to Professionalism
A. Strive to perform at the highest level of one’s proficiency and competency to achieve the highest level of quality.
B. Seek training and education throughout one’s career; maintain a knowledge of current trends and practices in law enforcement planning.
C. Represent accurately one’s professional qualifications and abilities.
D. Exercise fair, honest, conscientious, independent, and impartial judgement in presenting data, methods, results, and recommendations.
E. Disclose confidential information only when required by law, or to prevent a violation of a law or to prevent substantial harm or injury.
F. Sign or approve only those documents that one has personally prepared or checked.
G. Perform work with integrity and professionalism.
H. Perform work within the range of one’s professional competence.
I. Disclose all personal interests, broadly defined, that may be construed to be in conflict with the goals of any law enforcement planning project.
J. Refuse any favor that may be construed to have a bearing on a law enforcement planning project.
K. Abstain from using confidential information for one’s personal gain or advantage.
VI. Responsibility to Use Professional Research Methods
A. Use accepted, empirical research and evaluation methods.
B. Strive to achieve basic research goals and criteria: objectivity, impartiality, accuracy, validity, and reliability.
C. Ensure that research and evaluation methods are legal and ethical.
D. Seek feedback, review, and evaluation of research design and methods by peers and colleagues.
E. Prepare research and planning reports that provide sufficient information to evaluate the usefulness and quality of the study:
1. Clearly identify the goals of the research project.
2. Describe the project’s research methods, sources of information, and any premises and assumptions made.
3. Ensure that all reports and documents produced are in a format that is as clear, concise, and straightforward as possible within the need to present and discuss technical data and research methods.