Considering the ethical approach to leadership, there are limited options on how police officers should react when they notice an unethical behavior of a colleague. From the deontological perspective, his duty is to report the violation despite possible friendly feelings or solidarity.
Virtue ethics would propose speaking privately with another officer and discussing the situation with them to understand better what happened and build a transparent dialogue before informing the superiors. From the consequentialist point of view, there will be no evidential consequences for both of them if the police officer remains silent.
However, if the police officer reports the colleague, they probably get the penalty, which will be a negative outcome for the policeman who was acting unethically but positive for the group.
Based on the mix of all three ethical theories and their application to ethical leadership, the most appropriate solution is to report the incident. Any type of violation inside the group affects its members, especially if it goes unnoticed. If the person knows that they can misbehave without any consequences, the incidents are most likely to be repeated.
Addressing the issue when it appears is crucial because other police officers might more carefully consider their decisions and behavior in the future. Therefore, it is necessary for the team’s good to bring awareness about the situation to maintain a healthy work environment and minimize the risk of such incidents happening in the future.