Nonetheless, we would do a far better job of training our officers to uphold the oath they take to defend the Constitution, and to not violate the citizens' rights, if they actually learned what the Constitution says and means. I think the second half of the book would also make an excellent basic high-school text on the Constitution. The depressing reality here is that the Constitution, as a whole document, is probably not taught these days in most high school Social Studies classes. Ultimately it is the citizens who either know or don't know the Constitution, who claim or relinquish their rights, who decide what rules are made, and who define the job that the police do. Lines of Defense would go a long way towards informing young citizens and young officers as to what the ultimate rules really are, and how we need to respect and enforce those rules if we are to maintain our freedom.
Ethics is the foundation of policing.
Ethics engender trust, and without this vital ingredient, policing as we in this country expect and understand it, is impossible. You might still have enforcement of the laws, but not truly efective policing, for this requires the support of those being policed, meaning their trust. In this work, Mr. Klein explores the many ways ethics are involved in policing, and the consequences to be expected when this most basic of its ingredients is minimized or even eliminated. He theorizes that those entering this profession must have ethical qualities already ingrained in them to want to be an active participant in this field where sorrow, danger and boredom are routine events. He must not only believe in the code and what it stands for, but must live this ethical life.