The Importance Of Police Discretion

“Anyone attempting to construct a workable definition of the police role will typically come away with old images shattered and a newfound appreciation for the intricacies of police work” (Dempsy) Police officers are faced each day with a vast array of situations with which they must deal. No two situations they encounter are ever the same, even when examines a large number of situations over an extended period of time. The officers are usually in the position of having to make decisions on how to handle a specific matter alone, or with little additional advice and without immediate supervision. A police officer is role that cannot be taken lightly. To be a police officer one must have emotional strength. A police officer must learn discretion and then learn to exercise discretion in the proper way. “Police discretion is a vague term that has an appropriately vague definition. It is defined as the decision-making power afforded to police officers that allows them to decide if they want to pursue police procedure or simply let someone off with a warning.” (Law Dictionary) If a police officer exercises force or gives a ticket that someone does not believe they
How does a cop determine how much discretion to use when he comes in contact with a civilian? There are many key factors that can contribute to the amount of force and discretion the cop can use. A police officer is taught to only increase the amount of force he or she can use when the suspect starts to increase their reactions to towards the officer or another person. If a suspect throws a punch at a police officer then the officer should be allowed to detain the suspect. However if this one punch turns into a full fight then lines have to be drawn. Yes the officer can use force to take the suspect down, but when must he stop using force? A police officer must be ready to burst become civil to the person that just punched