He's largely ruled by his perception of the job he was hired to do, no matter what he thinks about it. Many of us have heard the saying: "The job makes the man". In the case of an "official" he carries a duty to perform in a manner that conforms to his job description (at least ideally, in the public view) and the laws and rules he goes by are created by others -- designed to serve the interests of the empowered individuals and governing groups that created them. If that means heavy fines for violations, then to hell with common sense, lay it on. If it enriches the local government coffers by fines and the proceeds of auction after impound, then that's for the benefit of the greater community (whether you agree or not).

So pretend you're the harbor master, with these responsibilities that go with the job, and some foreign vessel pulls into your harbor violating your local laws/rules (don't ask me what they are -- I don't know) and the skipper disappears for months without notice, and can't be contacted with a reasonable effort. Do you do your job, or do you choose not to do your job and risk getting fired? (After all, some dude named Jerry who lives in NYC posts online that you should disregard what you were hired to do.)