Police Discretion - 2677 Words

From a criminological 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†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, if a police officer decides to shoot their weapon when the suspect is unarmed, is very unnecessary and unethical (USDOJ, 1999). The use of force is almost always up to the officer that is dealing with the suspect at hand; though an officer’s interpretation of the law and any personal bias’ towards a certain group are individual factors that can influence an officer’s decision. Although the description given to police officers regarding the extent of the use of force is that which is only necessary and reasonable in a present situation, but factors such as officers rights to protect themselves and precedent set by the past behaviour of police officers are also worthy of consideration in regards to the amount of force to be used. The use of force must be controlled and confined though is unquestionable (USDOJ, 1999). There can be seen that there are three elements in police discretion that an officer must decide on before making an individual choice regarding the scenario. The first stage is whether the officer should involve himself in the event; however an officer doesn’t sometimes doesn’t have a choice about whether to become involved or not as his/her organisation might send them thereShow MoreRelatedPolice Discretion1244 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Police Discretion Jocelyn Golphin University of the District of Columbia Criminal Justice System 2/21/2014 Golphin 2 Police discretion is a very important approach in matters concerning criminal justice. There has been a consistent problem between enforcing the law and the spirit of the law. Discretion in the broader sense can be defined as the individual’s ability to make a decision basing on the principle of courses of the action. During trainingRead MorePolice Discretion1050 Words   |  5 PagesPolice Discretion Police discretion is the ability to choose a course of action because of broad limits of power. It refers to the autonomy an officer has in choosing an appropriate course of action (The Police In America, 113). It includes authority to decide which of the various means of helping the helpless, maintaining order, and keeping the peace are best suited to particular circumstances (www.worldandi.com/specialreport/1989/january/Sa15878.htm). The police need to have discretionRead MorePolice Discretion1548 Words   |  7 PagesPolice Discretion David Gonzalez University of Phoenix Introduction to Policing CJA/370 Professor John W. Feltgen June 23, 2005 Abstract In this paper I will discuss police discretion and the use of these discretionary powers in the law enforcement workplace. I will explore the mythical aspects of police discretionary powers and the source of this myth. I will further discuss the control of discretionary authority. I will name instances of law enforcement officials using their discretionary powersRead MorePolice Abuse Of Discretion And Discretion2015 Words   |  9 Pages Police Abuse of Discretion William Powell Jr. American Military University Professor Robert Arruda CMRJ303 Criminology January 17, 2014 Abstract Utilizing the research from several sources and personal experience, this paper will discuss police abuse of discretion. The paper will begin by defining discretion. The paper will examine several types of discretion variables. The paper will discuss its use in the field and office settings. The paper will discussRead MorePolice Discretion1418 Words   |  6 PagesPolice discretion by definition is the power to make decisions of policy and practice. Police have the choice to enforce certain laws and how they will be enforced. Some law is always or almost always enforced, some is never or almost never enforced, and some is sometimes enforced and sometimes not (Davis, p.1). Similarly with discretion is that the law may not cover every situation a police officer encounters, so they must use their discretion wisely. Until 1956, people thought of police discretionRead MoreDefinition Of Discretion And Police Discretion2054 Words   |  9 PagesThe term discretion has several meanings the liberty to decide what should be done in a specific circumstance is one general universal definition. But when dealing with criminal justice and police work the description changes a bit. The criminal justice definition of discretion is Police discretion discusses the authority given to a police officer that allows him or her to decide how to best handle a certain situation. This is designed at increasing the flexibility of the criminal justice systemRead MorePolice Discretion2131 Words   |  9 PagesDiscretion is defined as the authority to make a decision between two or more choices (Pollock, 2010). More specifically, it is defined as â€Å"the capacity to identify and to document criminal and noncriminal events† (Boivin ump; Cordeau, 2011). Every police officer has a great deal of discretion concerning when to use their authority, power, persuasion, or force. Depending on how an officer sees their duty to society will determine an officer’s discretion. Discre tion leads to selective enforcementRead MoreEssay on Police Discretion1425 Words   |  6 PagesPolice Discretion Discretion, uncertainly, and inefficiently are rampant and essential in criminal justice. Nobody expects perfection. That would neither be good nor fair. Justice is a sporting event in which playing fair is more important than winning. Law enactment, enforcement, and administration all involve trading off the possibility of perfect outcomes for security against the worst outcomes. Policing is the most visible part of this: employees on the bottom have more discretion thanRead MoreDisadvantages Of Police Discretion835 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment 2 Discretion can be defined as the availability of choice of options or actions. We all use discretion each and every day with all the decisions we make in our day to day lives. With that being said police also use discretion but theirs have the ability to change people’s lives on the daily basis. They have to make those decisions each and every day not knowing how it will affect the person’s life. Discretion is something that is a very necessary part of police work. One of the reasonRead MoreEssay On Police Discretion1053 Words   |  5 PagesPolice Discretion is one of the many tool officers have a choice to use when making decision in enforcing the law. Officer have the option to use discretion were the officers see fit. They do not have to issue a citation or arrest in many cases a warning many be justified. Many of the outcomes could be determine by several factors which include the subjects attitude, the crime and the person past history. In some cases, a subjectà ¢â‚¬â„¢s social status and financial status in the community have also have