Mission & Values

Code of Ethics

The primary mission of the Union County Sheriff's Office is crime prevention and the protection of life and property. The basis, however of all police action is the law, and the credibility of the law enforcement profession will be measured by its concern and contributions to public welfare, and by the guidance it provides to its employees toward achieving a high level of ethical practice.

Our goal is to increase the quality of police service by establishing standards of behavior to which every employee shall be held accountable, and to elevate the standards of the profession. By this goal, we will earn the support and cooperation of the general public.

Sheriff's Deputies have a sworn obligation to respect and defend the rights guaranteed to the public through the Constitution. In the performance of these duties, they may command obedience or prohibit behavior which tends to irritate and conflict with the expectations of free people in a free society; particular attention must be given to ensure just and impartial application.

Violations of the law by those sworn to defend it will bring down the system more surely than all other forms of crime combined. Positive police action, while intended to serve the Sheriff's peace keeping mission, must be administered without prejudice and always mindful that, in the execution of their duties, they act not for themselves, but for the public.

Consistent with these responsibilities, Sheriff's Deputies should be constantly aware that it is not a proper police function to prohibit or stop dissent. Civil disturbances and dissent are not synonymous. While civil disobedience and disturbances are illegal, dissent is not. Only violations of law and actions adverse to public safety are within the limit of police authority. Proper understanding of the relationship between the maintenance of order in the community and the enforcement of the law as a tool for achieving this order must be the primary objective of the Sheriff's Office.

As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.

I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all, maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others; honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life. I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of the Sheriff's Office. Whatever I see or here of a confidential nature of that which is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept forever secret unless a revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courageously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice, or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence, and never accepting gratuities.

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve those objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession, Law Enforcement.