The concept of Ethical Defensibility provides all sworn personnel with the philosophical tools and analytical skills necessary to weigh value-based alternatives, resulting in the repetitive acts needed to protect, preserve, and defend the integrity of the police profession.

Policing philosophies are complex, sometimes confusing, and definitely conflicted. Police academics, leaders, and trainers are often guilty of emphasizing philosophical platitudes such as honor, integrity, honesty, loyalty, duty, and professionalism in their law enforcement curriculums, while failing to elaborate on the practical applications of such concepts. They omit tangible examples of what these concepts mean, how they translate to real street-level scenarios and how officers should resolve situations when various legal and ethical job-related concepts conflict.