...perspective discretion can be defined as the authority granted by law to agencies and officials to act on their own considered judgement and conscience in certain situations; and each area of the legal system (judges, parliament and law enforcement) has its own discretion. Police discretion is the ability granted by the legal system to police offices, in certain situations, to act in a manner that allows authorities to make responsible decisions and individual choices or judgments, within certain legal bounds. In law enforcement, discretion is left up to each individual officer to make reasonable and responsible decisions out in the field everyday (Beech, 2008). Discretion is used in many situations, such as when an officer chooses to stop a vehicle for a small traffic violation. There are also times when the officer has no choice but to use specific discretion in certain situations and make a decision on what type of force is necessary for certain situations (Elicker, 2007). Society believes that an officer can make any choice he or she chooses at anytime while on the job, which is highly incorrect as there are many situations when an officer has no choice but to follow the law. For the most part every officer has a choice when to use or not to use discretion, and enforce the law, but allowing this choice to be made by individuals, who may seem like an average member of society, can pose a real threat regarding the misuse of such power (Delattre, 2006). Police discretion though it...
Words: 2669 - Pages: 11
...In the modern police world the ideas of discretion and decision making are crucial. Discretion in police terms refers to the actions taking by an officer or any member of the justice system based on their judgements about what the best action is. Police discretion is crucial as no two situations are the same. Police work is often a grey area balancing between a control and support type of work. In this grey zone is where police work must be done and discretion is vital. As most police activity occurs in private, away from the public's view, there is a lack of immediate help or reference from a supervisor or peers. Meaning that most officers need to be able to form their own actions quickly based on the current situation. Most times an officer will his discretion in either stopping or detaining someone....
Words: 781 - Pages: 4
...Policing Discretion and Behavior, to summarize. I chose this subject matter because my main goal of taking this course (I am not a Criminal Justice major) was to understand when, why and where an officer can search my possessions and how officers use their discretion to be objective in their line of duty and how not to be subjective when making their decisions. In my personal opinion the world is a corrupt place in many ways. I want to avoid corrupt officers at all costs and I feel as a citizen having the knowledge of police tactics and the way justice is served is the most important step in doing so. I am not saying I do not trust police officers, I have immense respect for their line of work; but I am not naive to the world and I know that everyone cannot be trusted. The Role of Discretion in Policing. Unlike any citizens outside their profession, officers have the right to use force against someone. Another important characteristic of the policing profession is the amount of discretion given to individual officers. The senior police management officers make decisions about department policies, police strategies, and distribution of police resources; this is also called command discretion. Surprisingly, day to day decisions like whom to stop, whom to arrest, and who to question are made by everyday officers. These officers also decide how to deal with public complaints. There is much public concern and the media and policy makers take great interest in why and how officers exercise...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...Socialization & Police Culture 2- Shedding Light on Police Culture: An Examination of Officers' Occupational Attitudes • Police culture research posits that officers collectively hold positive attitudes toward aggressive stops of cars and checking out people as well as favorable attitudes toward selective enforcement of laws • Typology studies of police contrast the notion that all officers see the world through the same lens and suggest that officers might cope with the strains of their occupation differently • Changes in the demographics of police personnel (i.e., more females, racial minorities, and college-educated officers) as well as changes in policing philosophies (i.e., community policing) over the past...
Words: 1292 - Pages: 6
...228-234 Police Corruption in India ____________________________________________________________________ Ravikanth B. Lamani1 G. S. Venumadhava2 Abstract Police as a Law enforcing agency is an important institution of that social control which existed in some form or the other in all society in all ages. Police is an integral part of the present day society. A society in the present set up cannot live and progress without an effective, sincere and honest police force. The Indian police have its roots in the ancient period and the present day police are the outcome of an evolutionary process. The bad things which it has inherited from the old system include corruption among policemen today. Corruption exists in one form or the other in the police system. Corruption has infected every sphere of modern life. It has vitiated the moral values of the society and the police force cannot be an exception. In fact, corruption of police is not a new phenomenon, but the irony is that the issue has seldom been seized by the organization with a sense of seriousness. In this paper an attempt has been made to discuss the various aspects of police corruption in India. The author has tried to discuss the various factors responsible for police corruption and suggest some remedies to control the corruption among policemen. The main objective of the paper is to discuss the extent, causes and remedies of police corruption and explain the extent of distrust that create against police due to...
Words: 4523 - Pages: 19
...and review the literature of the issues and history that have brought about the creation of community policing. I will start from the beginning with Sir Robert Peel and the creation of the Metropolitan Police Force in 1829, to the Political era starting in 1820, and the Professional and Reform era in the 1940’s to 1970 that has lead us to the implementation of community policing today. The policy and practice of community policing will then be explained in detail to give the reader a thorough understanding of the core elements of community policing and what it consists of. Also, how the policy is meant to be used in regards to implementation and who the policy is meant to impact will be discussed. The following paper is merely a review of previous literature on community policing to give a detailed explanation of what it is. From its earliest conception, policing was meant to involve a connection between citizens and police officers alike. Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the Metropolitan Police Force of London in 1829, which is credited with being the earliest assemblage of professional policing, contended that police departments and their communities were meant to share the common goal of protecting the welfare of the community and in order to accomplish this goal the police and citizens had to count on each other (Nadine M. Connell, 2008). Although policing in the United States (U.S.) got its roots from London where policing essentially started, the U.S. took a seemingly different...
Words: 1812 - Pages: 8
...Police Brutality DeVry University Police Brutality Is it fair that law enforcement officers can use brute force to serve and protect the people of the United States? Police officers are here to protect and serve the people of this great country, however in some cases police officers abuse their power and their force and it becomes police brutality. Throughout its history the United States has seen many cases of police brutality against minorities. It is a very controversial topic among communities especially those in which minorities reside. Police Brutality is one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. Police have to face many dangerous situations every day, they have to expect the worst and hope for the best while making split-second decisions. Being a police officer comes with the power of being able to take any citizens rights away, they also have the power to take someone’s life. We have to rely on those police officers own discretion when it comes to deciding the amount of force or sometimes lethal force when handling suspects. Police Brutality though it may not be a large predicament it should be viewed by both the police and the community. Police brutality is a hypocrisy, we are taught at a young age to believe that police officers are here to protect us from harm and keep us safe, not to harm us and cause us to fear them more than we do the criminals they are supposed to protect us from. We need to make sure police officers are properly...
Words: 1799 - Pages: 8
...Wilson and Kelling (2010) 1. After five years that foot patrol was implemented in Newark’s Police Department, this form of policing did not have any effect on the crime rate, yet the citizens felt safer. How do the police patrol your neighborhood? And how does it impacts your perception about law enforcement? Do you feel safe? 2. Briefly explain broken windows theory. Do you agree with this particular theory? How does this theory impact law enforcement practice? 2a. should officers should focus on preventing major crimes or do you agree with officer’s Kelly method of policing his neighborhood? (Informal policing to control the area) 3. What are some pros and cons of community policing? 5. What do think about police officers who arrest individuals...
Words: 442 - Pages: 2
...2 Police Brutality Police abuse continues to be one of the most serious and harsh human rights violations in minority communities. However, it is particularly interesting that such violence and viciousness by police officials has managed to go unnoticed within the justice system and overlooked for so long. Police officers have too much control and power and they sometimes abuse their authority. The excessive use of force used by police officers continues because of barriers of immunity which make it possible for officers who commit such brutal acts to escape punishment and often to repeat their offenses. Police brutality is a serious problem and if this barbarity by police officers is allowed to continue, the citizens in these communities will not only need protection from criminals, but the police that are recruited to protect and serve our communities. In recent months, citizens in urban communities worry about protecting themselves from criminals and now have to keep an attentive focus on those who are there to protect and serve. Police brutality not only affects the officer involved, the victim of the beating and those who witness the incident, but the minority community as a whole. It changes the way communities and the individual citizens view police officers and the authority they uphold. Often these citizens are unsure of the rights they have against such cruel acts of violence which forces them to endure excessive force and the thin line that police officers cross...
Words: 1268 - Pages: 6
...The policies, procedures, rules, regulations, as well as discipline, are vitally important to law enforcement (Cordner, 2016). The guidelines set forth within each define how each member of the department shall act during the course of their duties. In the event that these are not put into place, there is a real threat to the freedoms of the citizens within the community they serve. It is the goal of the chief of police to determine the medium between allowing officers to exercise their will or restrict their discretion to a bare minimum. There are instances when restrictions set forth within a guideline could limit an officer’s ability to effectively complete their duties (Cordner, 2016). For instance, if a procedure were put into place...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...Technologies Job Stress Police officers are called upon to do a job which taps into the best qualities that exist within a human being. The fact that many of them are in uniform places each and every one of their actions in plain view for all to see. The fact that this is a very dangerous job and the constant need for them to display discretion places a great deal of stress on the individual. Despite all the expectations placed on the police officer and the constant need to make very crucial decisions, it must never be forgotten that like every other person, police officer’s are human beings. Many of these police officer’s have their own families, and on many occasions the job conflicts with their lives at home. These civil servants are duty basically 24 hours a day and their schedules are liable to change at any time. Their schedules are liable to change at any time. The constant uncertainty causes disruption and conflict in their home lives. An officer is expected to disregard whatever situation brewing in their home lives, strap on a firearm and a badge and place his or her feelings on hold for the next 12-16 hours. These braves individuals are asked to patrol our streets, accept constant public abuse, with the constant fear of danger lurking around every corner. In a job such as this there are too many stressors to mention and this may be one of, if not the most stressful job known to man. The stress in this line of work of one thing, but the fact that optimum...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...the field of Criminal Justice, there are many topics of controversy such as Police using body cameras. This topic is becoming a bigger issue around the country due to false accusations on people and police. There are pros and cons to every controversial issue. Four cons related to Police body cameras are the following: The cameras are expensive. There is a privacy issue for both police and civilians. There may be issues with the camera. The police don’t want them. On the positive side, there are pros as well. Four pros of police using body cameras are the following: Helps provide valuable evidence in obtaining accurate victim and witness statements. Protects police officers from false accusations. The use of cameras while on duty provides hard video evidence of...
Words: 1442 - Pages: 6
...Police Corruption has been around since the beginning of its existence, though there has been a drastic reduction over the years; corruption continues to be a problem. There are many different forms to define police corruption because there are different types and different levels. Police corruption may be defined as unethical behaviors, unreasonable acts, and unnecessary force. Unethical behaviors are caused when an officer does not desire his or her position. The officer as well may show unethical behaviors when he or she did not receive enough training. Police corruption is an act or when an officer has involvement of misusing authority or gains a self-benefit. Such benefits may include benefits as profits through illegal acts. Those acts include of drugs, robberies, false imprisonment, and planting evidence (). The acts of an officer taking advantage of his or her authority may include excessive force when the force is not necessary such as beating of arrestees. There are a few major types and levels of corruptions involving gratuities, bribes, and internal corruption. These types of corruption vary on the seriousness of the acts. Gratuities, for example may be a level of rotten apples, do not harm anyone; it allows police officers to receive free meals or discounts to certain locations. Rotten apples are the lease serious levels of corruption; when a few individual officers are engaged in a situation. Many individuals believe that police gratuities are a form of corruption...
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...The AbcNews Article titled “What is Excessive Force” talks about what exactly excessive force and whether or not it is actually something that can be measured or not? Within the article there are different subcategories like “Judgment Call” “Heat of the Chase”. The conclusion of whether or not the force of a police officer can be measured and or evaluated was that ultimately that it couldn’t be measured, just imply because it is the officer discretion. This article demonstrates ethos by appealing to Logos by providing you with stats, numbers, and direct quotes and pathos by implying that the reader should care about the issues behind the article. To start the article off the writer believes that it would be more effective to mention two recent...
Words: 538 - Pages: 3
...professional law enforcement officer. The officer works for the Memphis, TN Police Department. You will examine what was learned after a one hour interview of the daily experiences of law enforcement and traffic violations. This essay will provide reflections from a professional interview with a law enforcement officer and will described situations relating to traffic violations. The steps to get approval for an interview or a ride along require authorization and checking my background. They face frustrations and difficulties each day but can do little to prevent it from happening. Many officers would not agree to the interview until getting higher level manager’s approval. The professional interview with the Memphis Police Department Traffic Officer of Motors was not as excited as I expected. I completed a professional interviewed Sgt. Wilkes of the Memphis, TN Police Department Traffic Division. Traffic Division (Memphispolice.org, 2012) is divided into four sections: Motorcycle Squad (Motors), Special Traffic Investigation Squad (STIS), Special Traffic Enforcement Unit (STEU) and Police Service Technicians (PSTs). Sgt. Wilkes currently works as a Traffic Police Officer for Motorcycle Squad. He has always wanted to be in law enforcement, since a little kid he always had a fascination of becoming a police officer. His background is military experience, in which he served for eight years. His military experience is what helped him quality for the police department. He began...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
