Pros And Cons Of Mandatory And Preferred Arrest Policies

Mandatory and preferred arrest policies have been debated by both sides in terms of effectiveness and fairness. As it currently stands, 22 states have laws that include mandatory and preferred arrest policies. Statistical data has shown that since its implementation, arrests have significantly gone up. Comparing the 1970s and 1980s which was around 15% to the modern era with over 30% arrests made during a domestic violence call. Not only have arrests gone up but more specifically, female arrests have increased exponentially. The argument can be made that police in our modern era have become more “by the book” and have increased arrest rates across the board. In terms of the jump in female arrests, this can be in part by the mandatory arrests for example, a husband is assaulted by his wife and a nearby neighbor calls the police, when the police arrive the man has visible injuries but does not want to press charges but the mandatory arrest policy forces the officers to arrest the wife.
Dual arrests are when a police officer has probable cause that violence occurred between the suspects but cannot determine which one was at fault or when the officer believes both individuals are at fault. This has led to the higher percentage of arrests made during domestic violence calls but also the increase in female arrests. With any new law, we will see an increase in arrests as people are still adapting to them. I believe that mandatory and preferred arrest policies should stay enacted but should be routinely evaluated for effectiveness. If the statistics continue to become uneven and disproportionate, then an improvement should be made as times change and policies do