Police Discretion Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Police Discretion Position Paper - Essay Example Several myths, such as an inevitable abuse of power, are unsupported by the research. The main causes of police discretion are offender variables, situational variables, and systemic variables. The exercise of police discretion arises in many situations, such as domestic violence and juvenile delinquency, and can often lead to positive resolutions. Discretion is a valuable part of police work. The issue of police discretion, while a seemingly natural aspect of the duties of a law enforcement officer, is a topic which generates much debate. Historically, the concept of police discretion was thought to be associated with police corruption and with an "extralegal" use of police power (O'Connor, 2005: np). Indeed, the recognition of police discretion as a legitimate aspect of police duties was not formally recognized until 1956 when it was formally identified and discussed by an American Bar Association study. This revelation, that the police did in fact use discretion in the course of their duties, generated a substantial amount of controversy: "When it was finally exposed, people like the American Friends Service Committee (1971) called for its abolishment, and police administrators sought a clampdown on discretion (administrative rulemaking)" (O'Connor, 2005: np). In the beginning, though police discretion was an integral part of daily police work, it was viewed with suspi cion. A more modern view posits that police discretion is a valuable and necessary part of police work. To this end, calls for the elimination of police discretion have been replaced by proposals to more carefully define when and how police officers should use discretion. This modern view operates on the assumption that police work is often complex, that situations are rarely neat and simple, and that discretion results in better police work than a mechanistic application of the law. As noted by a National Institute of Justice Research Report, "Each tactical choice by the police, each citizen's response, counter responses by each, and changes in other variables in the context (for instance, intervention of strangers) create a fluid, ever-changing encounter" (1997: pg.35). This essay will define what is meant by "police discretion", a number of common myths associated with the concept, and the real-life sources of the need for police discretion. The essay will then present ten practical illustrations of police discretion in operation in order to compare situations in which discretion is used appropriately and situations in which discretion very well might be abused. Police Discretion: Definitions, Myths, and Sources Discretion means many things and encompasses a tremendous variety of different situations. From a theoretical point of view, it has been referred to as the making of decisions where the law is not clear, where the police officer has alternative courses of action, and where a cost-benefit analysis cautions against the rigid application of the law. Some scholars have defined police discretion as judgments made within the realm of a "regulated autonomy" (De Lint, 1998: pg. 2) and others have characterized discretion as a police officer's role as a public servant whom is sworn to balance the intent of the law against the interests of

Second Amendment to Reduce Gun Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Second Amendment to Reduce Gun Violence - Essay Example This means that although this right is regulated, people still have a right to have a gun. Policies at the federal, local and state levels have attempted to address gun violence through a variety of ways, including restricting firearm purchases by youths, setting waiting periods for firearm purchases, enforcing of laws and community policing strategies, strict penalties for gun law offenders, education programs on gun safety for parents and children and community-outreach programs. Federal legislation also aims to prevent the sale of weapons deliberately to criminals domestically and people involved in uprisings abroad through prohibition of ATF. The legislation also prevents the local law enforcement from accessing digital databases for identification purposes of weaponry sale places for weapons recovered at the scenes of crime. The second amendment should not be revised since it protects the people from despotism from their own government or invasion. The amendment removes the powe r of the government to regulate firearms and also prevents the president or whoever is in charge of authority from restricting the freedom of the people of the United States in case a martial law was declared. The second amendment also emphasizes that citizens have to possess enough arms and ammunitions in order to maintain a status of independence from any authority that might attempt to abuse them including their own government. The second amendment gives private citizens the right to have knives, swords, pistols, rifles or anything else they want to defend themselves from others or the government. The second amendment does not have the constitutional authority to work against the wants of... Second Amendment to Reduce Gun Violence Gun violence is one of the leading causes of premature deaths in the United States because young victims are usually involved. Gun violence in the United States is highly extraordinary, and the homicide rate in the country is seven times higher than the combined homicide rate of 22 other high-income countries. There is a high prevalence of gun ownership in the country and less restrictive gun laws that are crucial contributions to the rates of violence as a result of crime in America compared to other countries with the same revenue levels with it. The American government is caught up in the firearm issue. Millions of American citizens own guns and use them responsibly but a few thousand gun owners on a yearly basis do not. There are huge economic costs associated with gun violence in the U.S because violent crime reduces tax revenues that local governments require to cater for the broad range of citizen needs. In order to reduce gun violence without revising the second amendment, new legislation and regulations that preserve the basic freedoms contained in the Bill of Rights must be made. The legislation must hold the view point that the privilege to possess weapons is only for life, property and liberty protection than any other selfish means. To be even, technology should be adapted to improve response times and stop intruders of any kind since regulating firearms alone cannot keep schools, streets and the public safe.