Discretion in Police Duties

Police officers often encounter situations where the decision to use discretion challenges the way and the type of job that officers would normally conduct. Each day an officer is on the job, discretion when it comes to job duties appears, sometimes without any warning. Officers constantly struggle with the appearance of discretion, and often times do not know how to handle the situation when it does appear. Discretion may take many different forms in the job duties, but it always involves the officer letting a crime “slide,” rather than questioning every suspicious person. Letting a crime “slide,” for certain offenders, is of great concern for the administrators of police departments, because there is potential for ethical issues to surface later on. This essay will examine police discretion, factors that influence discretion, whether exercising discretion is appropriate, and the concerns that administrators have when it comes to police using discretion in the field.
Discretion is often one of the most critical aspects of a police officer’s daily duties. In the past, police discretion was considered taboo until 1956 when a study conducted by the American Bar Foundation discovered that there is nothing illegal or improper about discretion, and that it is in fact of practice (“The Role of Discretion in Police Work,” 2012). Before discretion was officially accepted as practice, police officers would not admit to be involved in police discretion. The basic definition of discretion is the use of personal choices when carrying out typical police job duties. For example, a police officer may decide to arrest one suspect for police interference, but will let another suspect go home, for the exact offense. When using discretion, however...

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... is of great concern for the police administration, hence why the use discretion is controversial. Using discretion to a certain extent is appropriate, but as previously stated, only if the discretion is not abused and misused.

Works Cited

Information On The Use Of Police Discretion. (2004, January 6). Information On The Use Of Police Discretion. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.caught.net/prose/policediscreti
Siegel, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2012). Issues in Policing. Introduction to Criminal Justice (13th ed., pp. 252-258). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
The Role Of Discretion In Police Work, Its Strengths And Its Weaknesses. (n.d.). The Role Of Discretion In Police Work, Its Strengths And Its Weaknesses. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.researchomatic.com/essay/The-Role-Of-Discretion-In-Police-Work-Its-Strengths-And-Its-Weaknesses-95144.aspx