The Importance Of The Code Of Ethics In Dirty Harry

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Dirty Harry changed the way we view police movies. In this film we idolized a homicide detective who struggles with society's decisions in regards to protecting the society they created. Harry Callahan is a San Francisco detective who is known for taking situations into his own hands. He based punishments on his own mortality. Which at times seemed a bit off. It is clear in this film that Harry feels a need for individual empowerment. Harry “Dirty” Callahan becomes the bad guy we love, instead of the entrusted hero we look for in a police officers. Unfortunately being the bad guy means throughout most of the film Harry does not act ethically. This can be seen by his disregard of the Law enforcements code of ethics. Three principals within the code of ethics that Harry did not uphold were competence, diligence, and loyalty. One of the only ethical actions I observed in the film would be in regards to honesty.
First of the many codes of ethics is competence. A
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Officer Callahan did not act as an ethical professional in regards to the Law enforcement codes of ethics relating to loyalty. In order to get the job of a police officer you must promise loyalty to the Constitution and to the community you are serving. Other loyalties are of less importance. Investigating a case is never an easy job, you must be able to focus on all the differing aspects. Officer Callahan’s placed all his attention on one soul purpose, which was retrieving the missing girl. Harrys attention only to that one detail narrowed his vision of the situation and cause him to fail to be loyal to the rules and regulations that police officers promise to obey. Harry ignoring to follow his duty of loyalty caused both the confession, and the evidence to be inadmissible in court allowing Scorpio to go free. This damaged the reputation of the department, hurt his family, and hurt the community that he is sworn to dutifully serve under the code of