Discretion In Law Enforcement

Another instance is whereby the police officers deny the citizens they have the responsibility of serving the due process. Legally, the law enforcement authorities have the mandate of choosing how to prioritize the needs of those seeking their help. However, some officers may choose to deny the citizens the due process to help them solve their problems. Additionally, the officers may choose to follow the due process for a specific activity, and instead, do as they please even though the issue could have a better solution than the selected move. The ethical action is for the officer to realize that they have the option of not following the due process, yet do it anyway even if they have discretion. This problem creates a loophole for officers who may engage in criminal activity.
There is a gray area in the issue of police and community relations. The authorities have the mandate to relate with the community as they please without supervision. It requires the law enforcement authorities to …show more content…
It is not a common occurrence within the paramilitary environment. The reason for this is that there is an inverse relationship between when the top ranks practice discretion and when the lower end of the rank practice the same. Newburn (2010) identifies this circumstance as a difference between the regular law enforcement and the commercial enterprises. The officers engaging in patrol exercise higher levels of discretion than those who are in positions of the chief constable or other high-ranking individuals in the department. In contrast, the major general in the army has high powers of discretion than the low ranked soldier. The differences in the paramilitary environment are in the mandate or authority an individual has to have discretion while in the line of