Ethics and the police-based researcher: reviewing the issues and obligations

This paper argues that the increased level of participation in research by police services has culminated in a parallel increase in the number of police-based researchers. These researchers, for the most part, are comprised of police personnel that develop, conduct, and assess research on issues related to crime and public safety. It is also clear that current ethics guidelines for police services seldom speak to issues related to research and that, often, government agencies such as the police are exempt from standard research protocols such as a required review by an Ethics Review Board. As such, it is suggested that police-based researchers, like social scientists, strive to understand and observe the basic ethical principles of research in order to maintain a high degree of scientific rigour as well as to ensure the safety and human rights of individuals involved in their research. Ethical issues regarding individuals as well as society are reviewed and their applications to police-based research are discussed.