Police 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 discretion
Premium Police Crime Police officer
Policing Essay Police discretion poses an interesting paradox in our democratic society. As Ramirez et al (2000) explains‚ we entrust the police to enforce the law‚ to maintain order‚ and to use legitimate force if necessary ’. Not only do we expect police to complete this rather demanding task‚ but we also expect them to accomplish these tasks by treating the public in a fair and even-handed way ’. Thus a major problem is the over policing ’ and stereotyping ’ of marginalized groups such
Premium Police Criminal justice Crime
or reducing their inclination to commit crimes as a result of correctional treatments. The fallacy in this expectation is that the correctional system in reality handles an extremely small percentage of criminals. The correctional funnel shown in Figure 1.2 illustrates this phenomenon; there is a large numerical difference between the number of crimes reported and the number of offenders convicted and facing any specific correctional sanction. As illustrated in Figure 1.2‚ of approximately 10 million
Free Crime Criminal justice Prison
Running head: POLICE DISCRETION Police Discretion CJA/342 University Of Phoenix Police Discretion Police discretion is an important tool in police work due to the law sometimes being too vague or ambiguous. Police officers are trained on different scenarios that one may come across while they are at the academy. The problem tends to arise when a police officer comes across a situation that they were not trained for‚ and since the academy cannot cover every possible scenario that
Premium Police Violence Domestic violence
serving life sentences * Increase in the number of violent children being sentenced * Increase in the prosecution of serious offences (Department of Correctional Services‚ 2005:105) The aim of this research project is to analyse the current processes followed in transportation of prisoners from holding cells at the police stations to correctional facilities. The security measures and technology used within these facilities will be analysed and discussed. Recommendations will be made in regards
Premium Prison Criminal justice Crime
Police 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 than employees
Premium Police Crime
Correctional Officers � PAGE * MERGEFORMAT �9� Running head: Correctional Officers Correctional Officers and Stress in APA style Claire Gilman Hebron High School Abstract Everyday that a correctional makes the decision to go to work could be the distinction between life and death. Many people do not realize the unseen dangers lurking behind the stereotypes of the job. Watching over inmates and criminals a person must be ready for anything. At any second throughout the day an inmate could
Premium Prison Penology Corrections
Police 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 discretion
Premium Police Crime Constable
In this paper‚ I will be writing about Police Discretion. I will start by defining Police Discretion then briefly discuss the use in domestic disturbances‚ minor misdemeanors‚ and traffic enforcement. I will also discuss the application of police discretion‚ the provisions it uses and how it is currently practiced. At the end of these brief descriptions‚ I will then present the myth that exists in regards to police discretion. And finally‚ I will end this paper with my personal opinion as well
Premium Police Crime Constable
Police Officers use of Taser Guns Police Officers are faced with many obstacles throughout his or her career. A lot of research has been done regarding the work police officers do. Often time’s officers are faced with making decisions very quickly‚ without being able to think about his or her options. Most police officers carry a weapon‚ handcuffs‚ a baton‚ a flashlight‚ a knife‚ and a taser gun. A taser gun is a weapon that sends electrical currents through the body and causes the body
Premium Police Constable Quantitative research