What is police discretion? How does the practice of discretion by today's officers affect their departments and the policing profession as a whole?
What will be an ideal response?
• Police discretion refers to the opportunity for police officers to exercise choice in their enforcement activities. Put another way, discretion is the exercise of choice by law enforcement officers in the decision to investigate or apprehend, the disposition of suspects, the carrying out of official duties, and the application of sanctions. To those who have contact with the police, the exercise of discretion is more significant than any department manuals and official policy statements.
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In U.S. courts, a search or arrest in a foreign country by or at the behest of U.S. officers is guided by
A. The entirety of the Fourth Amendment B. The Fourth Amendment's Reasonableness Clause C. International law D. No law
Why are drug courts a beneficial option for the criminal justice system when dealing with methamphetamine users?
A) They eliminate all rigid structures for oversight. B) They completely expunge or eliminate the offender's criminal record. C) They expose meth-addicted individuals to treatment. D) They guarantee the drug user employment after treatment.
The theoretical explanation that helps us to understand political offenders as being socialized into their belief system by similarly minded individuals is:
a. Choice theory b. Deterrence theory c. Differential association theory d. Social learning theory
Imagine you are a psychologist who has been asked to complete a fitness-for-duty evaluation. What is the first step you would take?
A. assess whether the officer is fit to return to duty B. conduct a job analysis C. determine the officer’s physical fitness level D. establish departmental credibility