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Police Ethics and the Jewish Tradition

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Police Ethics and the Jewish Tradition begins with the concept of law enforcement officers as "shomrim," the guardians and moral agents of a civilized society, and the ethical responsibility that this entails. The author, a rabbi, reserve deputy sheriff, and police chaplain, draws upon Jewish philosophy and religious tradition to illuminate the ways in which these suffuse the principles and practices of ethical law enforcement. Topics covered include group loyalty and responsibility, bribery and gratuity, deception and corruption, and police training and discipline. Biblical and Talmudic sources are cited to illustrate specific points such as the use of deceptive and coercive practices in criminal interrogation ("With the crafty, one may be crafty" - Talmud), balanced by the strong Jewish prohibition against bearing false testimony. While stretching the connection in a few areas, this book nevertheless does a masterful job of finding the moral foundations of ethical policing in the ageless traditions of Jewish lore.
- Laurence Miller, PhD, Internationl Journal of Emergency Mental Health