Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Ethics Playing Cards
Copyright © 2025 Compass Ethics
2
A work social media chat turns inappropriate. What do you do?
Case Studies
- A meme/cartoon which could easily be seen as offensive by a minority group has been shared in an “ironic way” as part of a discussion. Taken out of context it could look bad and even in context might raise questions. What do you do?
- You are on shift with a more senior officer who insists on telling discriminatory jokes. How can/should/do you challenge this?
- What would you do if a colleague posted views associated with the far left or far right?
Discussion
- What do you think counts as inappropriate?
- Do you have a right to a private life?
- Does it matter if it’s private? Is anything involving your work ever truly private? Ultimately, an officer is never completely off duty.
- How would a member of the public view the comments if they became aware of them?
- What are the reasons that people might not challenge something inappropriate? How can the context of the company or the environment change the way we might otherwise act?
- How does the junior officer raise this as an issue if they are uncomfortable? The imbalance of power can make raising any kind of objection difficult. Where would you go for help, advice and support in such a situation?
- Applying professional judgement, or discretion, is an important skill. Disregarding a wrong-doing can also get you into serious trouble and ultimately affects the reputation of the whole force. Knowing when and how to act is not always easy. Does the cause of a demonstration change whether it is acceptable or not?
There are obviously many ways one can challenge someone else’s behaviour, from using humour to something more robust and everything in between. Have a conversation with your colleagues about different approaches that can work in different environments.