Discretionary Use of Police Authority Research Paper

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Disadvantages of police discretion

The blanket use of discretion can result in repressive tactics being utilized against suspected criminals. If the police department refrains from guiding and controlling the use of this authority, abuses as well as extreme disparities can occur. Where, various individuals could become corrupted from the large amounts of authority they are given. As they could begin seeking out special favors (bribes / kickbacks) or they could use severe tactics when dealing with suspects. This is because police officials often operate in environments, where they are mostly alone. While at the same time, they are in contact with people in who live in different social / economic conditions. (Goldstein 1977) When you put these various elements together, this means that the use of discretion must be limited (due to the fact that possible abuses could occur).

Factors that influence an officer's decision-making process

There are a number of different factors that could influence a law enforcement official's decision making process (when it comes to the use of discretion).

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These include:

How serious is the issue?

The mental state of the police officer at the time.

The attitude of the person involved .

The different community and peer pressures.

The educational level of the police officer.

These different factors are important, because they highlight how the use of discretionary force is often based upon a number of different elements working together. (Debra, 1977)

Clearly, the question of police discretion profoundly challenges society as: policy makers, law enforcement officials, academics and scholars are working to deploy fresh methods of community / political control. At the same time, they must introduce new guidelines to keep up with changes in the law and how this principal is applied......

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"Discretionary Use Of Police Authority", 07 February 2011, Accessed.6 June. 2026,
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