What is the duty to intervene?

• A. The obligation to report all incidents to headquarters
• B. The obligation to act if you see other officers committing unethical behavior
• C. The duty to avoid involvement in colleagues' conduct
• D. The responsibility to document only significant events

Answer: (B)

Intervening when you witness unethical behavior by a colleague is your duty. It means you don’t stand by and let misconduct continue; you take action to stop or de-escalate the situation, protect everyone’s safety, and uphold the integrity of the institution. Intervening can involve steps like calmly addressing the behavior, separating people involved, calling for backup if needed, and then reporting the incident through the proper channels. The emphasis is on timely, appropriate action in the moment to prevent harm and hold colleagues accountable, not on avoiding involvement or only documenting events later. While reporting to supervision is important, the core expectation is that you act to correct and prevent unethical conduct as it occurs.