Police Discretion Research Paper

Police Ethics

Police Discretion
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Abstract: This paper is going to cover the unlawful behavior that led to harmful discretionary acts that had taken place in several different police departments; from the big cities of Los Angeles and Chicago to the small department of East Moline. This will cover, in detail, how these officers went down the wrong path to self-destruct their own departments. “Police discretion refers to the authority granted to a police officer that allows him to decide how best to deal with a certain situation. This is aimed at increasing the flexibility of the justice system as punishment may not always be the appropriate mode of dealing with crimes. Discretion may empower a police
This will cover, in detail, how these officers went down the wrong path to self-destruct their own departments. “Police discretion refers to the authority granted to a police officer that allows him to decide how best to deal with a certain situation. This is aimed at increasing the flexibility of the justice system as punishment may not always be the appropriate mode of dealing with crimes. Discretion may empower a police officer to overlook a minor offense giving the offender a warning” (Alec Korsmo). Police discretion has been observed to be common in domestic violence, drugs and traffic offences. In matters to do with domestic violence, the police have been on the. They have treated domestic violence as a private matter better left for counseling, cooling off periods. Discretion is used especially when both parties are seen as equally involved in the violence and are either arrested or asked to separate for a few days or sometimes longer to dissipate the anger. Now In traffic, cops can allow a driver who has failed to stop at a red light to walk away as it is normal to sometimes make mistakes. The cops can also use discretion for the drivers caught driving drunk or high on drugs. The police officer will call a cab for
Hurricane Katrina had just ripped through the big easy, looters were running wild through stores and streets, and hundreds of homes were being broken into and their valuables being stolen. Local police officers were told that they could shoot the looters on site. Captain Lane Deacon stated “When I told the officers that I was in command of at that time to shoot or fire at threatening looters I did not think they would act so aggressively.” Three officers Robert Gisevius, Sergeant Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso, were stationed on Danzinger Bridge when a young, black man by the name of James Brissett tried to cross. This is when the officers did not use the right discretion and turned down the wrong path. Brissett was unarmed with nothing but his wallet and keys. A confrontation broke out in which the three police officers jumped on the young man and continued to beat him near death, finally just shooting and killing him. It turns out that Brissett was just looking for shelter. The three officers were then charged with falsifying reports, false prosecution, conspiracy to cover up murder, second degree murder. All three once creditable officers two of them being ranking now face the death penalty. These bad discretionary acts do not just occur in large cities. They happen right in our own small communities and towns. One example of this was recently when an