Police Discretion Case Study
Police Discretion Case Analysis
Albeiro E. Florez
Law Enforcement Administration
CCJS 340
Due by 13 October 2013
Author Note
Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College.
This report is a response to Professor Jeffrey B. Bumgarner’s project 2 directives.
Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi eCampus, Adelphi, MD 20783.
Contact: florezalbeiro87@gmail.com
Police Discretion Case Analysis People make decisions on a daily basis to decide what we should do in any given situation. Having the knowledge to differentiate between what is appropriate or inappropriate is what gives us the freedom to make this decision with the correct judgment. In law enforcement, sworn officers are taught to face any situation by employing good judgment and making the best decisions by themselves or with little to no supervision.
This is what we know as police discretion (The Rynard Law Firm, 2007). The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes discretion as “the quality of being careful about what you do and say so that people will not be embarrassed or offended” (Merriam-Webster, 2013).
Although systematic routines and protocols need to be followed by officers to ensure they abide by the law as well as to enforce it, often circumstances will show up and force officers to make a decision based on what they feel is right or wrong according to their training. Even though the Chiefs of police do not spend a lot of time in the field, they still have to use discretion while making decision that affects the police department and the community.
As I finished reading and understanding our textbook, I started to realize how complex police work can be, especially when we examine closely the use of discretion in the daily routine of a police officer, and as to how this helps to understand the
Albeiro E. Florez
Law Enforcement Administration
CCJS 340
Due by 13 October 2013
Author Note
Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College.
This report is a response to Professor Jeffrey B. Bumgarner’s project 2 directives.
Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to Albeiro E. Florez, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi eCampus, Adelphi, MD 20783.
Contact: florezalbeiro87@gmail.com
Police Discretion Case Analysis People make decisions on a daily basis to decide what we should do in any given situation. Having the knowledge to differentiate between what is appropriate or inappropriate is what gives us the freedom to make this decision with the correct judgment. In law enforcement, sworn officers are taught to face any situation by employing good judgment and making the best decisions by themselves or with little to no supervision.
This is what we know as police discretion (The Rynard Law Firm, 2007). The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes discretion as “the quality of being careful about what you do and say so that people will not be embarrassed or offended” (Merriam-Webster, 2013).
Although systematic routines and protocols need to be followed by officers to ensure they abide by the law as well as to enforce it, often circumstances will show up and force officers to make a decision based on what they feel is right or wrong according to their training. Even though the Chiefs of police do not spend a lot of time in the field, they still have to use discretion while making decision that affects the police department and the community.
As I finished reading and understanding our textbook, I started to realize how complex police work can be, especially when we examine closely the use of discretion in the daily routine of a police officer, and as to how this helps to understand the