Ethics Corner

When George O'Leary was forced to resign his newly-appointed position of head football coach at Notre Dame University in December, 2001, many were - gasp - shocked at the falsehoods on his resume. When all was said and done, he acknowledged exaggerating his level of education (he has a bachelors degree, not a masters) and misstating his athletic accomplishments as a college student (he never played in a game despite claiming three football letters).

But according to several professional employee recruitment firms, O'Leary's decision to lie in order to get a job should not come as a surprise. As a matter of fact, one Wisconsin-based executive search firm even publishes an annual "Liars Index" reporting on the number of applicants who fudge data about educational accomplishments. According to their 1995-96 statistics, 14 percent of applicants tended to overinflate their education records. Over the last two years, that number has increased to 18.5 percent.

College credentials are not the only area in which candidates exaggerate. According to ACS Data Search, approximately 40 percent of job applicant resumes contain errors or omissions. In addition, they report 25 percent of job seekers have a criminal record, though only 12 percent admit to it.

In the law enforcement field several years ago, one particularly creative and ambitious candidate for the position of police chief reported holding a bachelors degree, a masters degree, and a Ph.D. When a background investigation showed the fellow possessed only a high school education and had never attended college, his response was, "Uhm ... well ... I put those down as educational goals."

Cartoons & Pictures

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson (click on cartoon to enlarge)

CALVIN AND HOBBES copyright 1987 Watterson. Reprinted with permission of Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved.

Mr. Perry Dunlop (left), recipient of the 2000 Ethical Courage Award, assisted in teaching at the Ethics-Train-the-Trainer courses conducted at the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Canada in November 2001.

Class photograph of the Ethics Train-the-Trainer course conducted November 19-22, 2001, in British Columbia, Canada.

Class photograph of the Ethics Train-the-Trainer course conducted November 13-16, 2001, in British Columbia, Canada.

Class photograph of the Ethics Train-the-Trainer course conducted September 10-14, 2001, in Littleton, Colorado.

Ethics Center Participates in Mexico City Conference In January, 2002, the Ethics Center participated in a conference titled "Human Rights, Law Enforcement and Public Security, Manifestations of a Lawful State: Police as Defenders of Citizens' Rights." Continue...

The Ethics Corner In the process of recruitment and hire, how closely do we check the information candidates give us about their backgrounds? People wouldn't lie to us, would they?

What Have You Done For Me Lately? When someone does something to help us in some way, do we have an ethical obligation to later stand beside and support him when he needs our assistance? Continue...

The Lessons of Professional Courtesy When a police officer asks for "professional courtesy" to avoid receiving a traffic citation, who benefits from that act? And who is harmed? Continue...

Professionalizing The Mexico City Police Force The Director of the Mexico City Judicial Police Training Institute discusses selection and training changes that are transforming the Mexico City Police. Continue...

The Stars Are Shining In Dallas In its seventh year, a program in the Dallas (TX) Police Department continues to recognize outstanding ethical acts. Read about the program and some of the winners. Continue...

Let's Go To The Videotape Do you feel confident about "tightened security" at airports around the United States? And are all police officers doing their best to keep us safe when we travel? Continue...

Thanks for The Help, Judge! When investigations fall short, it is always important to find out why. Sometimes the failure can be traced to unusual - and surprising - sources. Continue...

Cartoons & Pictures Check here to see how Calvin and Hobbes use their typically wry wit to provide insight on ethical issues. In addition, peruse pictures of recent classes and ethics programs.