The rhetoric of personal loyalty to superiors in criminal justice agencies

Nowhere in public law is the idea of personal loyalty to superiors mentione d, yet criminal justice practitioners suffer from a "personal loyalty syndr ome." This syndrome holds them responsible to an altogether different set o f loyalty expectations. They are often compelled to offer personal loyalty to unworthy superiors and, as a result, violate constitutional provisions, legal requirements, or the public good. While no organizational rules requi re any such loyalty, criminal justice practitioners are invariably taught t hat issues of loyalty at the workplace are so important that one cannot sur vive without personal loyalty to superiors. They are also reminded that vio lating such a "commandment" is a cardinal sin that can destroy one's career . This article discusses the arguments for and against personal loyalty to superiors and the dangers inherent in such relationships. It explains the g rammar of loyalty at the workplace, explores the paradoxes of personal loya lty to superiors, and suggests a duty-based model as an alternative to the current model. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.