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Ethics Toolkit

Sign-on Campaign

It is important that not only the Oath of Honor is distributed and incorporated into ceremonies but those individual officers publicly record their commitments to high ethical standards. The sign-on campaign is a method of publicly recording each officer's commitment to ethics and professionalism.

Steps for a Sign-on Campaign

(1) Training should be conducted first on the Oath of Honor, explaining its purpose and its meaning.

(2) The chief administrator of the law enforcement agency should repeat and first sign the oath of honor. Other appropriate leadership personnel should proceed the chief administrator in signing the oath. This demonstrates the leadership commitment to the Oath of Honor.

(3) Each officer should take and sign the Oath of Honor sign-up sheet.

(4) A record of each officer taking and signing the Oath of Honor should be a part of each officer's record.

(5) Refresher training and signing the Oath of Honor should be conducted on an annual basis.

(6) A signed copy of the Oath of Honor should be displayed in public areas, work team areas or other appropriate areas.

(7) The display of the signed Oath of Honor should be changed annually to reflect the current employees of the agencies as well as illustrate the officers' renewed commitments to high ethical standards.

Sign-on Campaign Form

Please feel free to consult with a graphic artist in developing your agency's sign-on campaign. Remember to remove the superscript numbers and insert the appropriate terms in the oath. The critical elements are:

• Heading

• Introduction

• Oath

• Name, badge number and date

• Law Enforcement Oath of Honor:

  On my honor,
  I will never betray my badge¹
  my integrity, my character,
  or the public trust.
  I will always have
  the courage to hold myself
  and others accountable for our actions.
  I will always uphold the constitution²
  my community³ and the agency I serve.

The Law Enforcement Oath of Honor can be adjusted as appropriate for nations, countries or governments by inserting the appropriate terms. For example:

¹ Insert appropriate term such as: badge; profession; country
² Insert appropriate term such as: constitution, laws; monarch
³ Insert appropriate term such as: community; country; land; nation

Sign On Campaign Sign Up Sheet