Discretion In Police Work

1.) The role of discretion in police work is defined as the freedom police officers are given to decide what should be done in a particular situation. For example the police “may” make an arrest and “reasonable and probable grounds”. There is a fair amount of discretion carried out day to day in police officers ' jobs. In the cases in which the law does not require the officer to make an arrest, they can use discretion. Discretion permeates all aspects of police work (Canadian Police Work, Page 10). The criminal code encourages officers to use discretion in their work, and it is the police officers responsibility to use their discretion wisely and appropriately. The role of discretion gives the police a choice, and they have to act upon this choice and do what they believe is right. With discretion comes power and authority, which can cause police decisions to be examined under the microscope. “The police use of authority involves depriving citizens of their freedoms as well as the application of physical force and in some cases deadly force. No other personnel (except correctional officers) in the criminal justice system (CJS) are invested with this authority” (Course Notes).

Police have a great deal of power to carry out their jobs. …show more content…
The citizens rely on them to keep their city safe, and this requires the officers to use their authority wisely. A large part of an officers job relies on their ability to use discretion in the right situations, and to ensure they stay within their legal boundaries. Given the power to use physical force, officers are required to understand the consequences of bad decisions, and give their best effort to understand the legality of their actions. Discretion may differ slightly from one officer to another, because not all officers have the exact same morals and judgment. That being said, it is their duty to make the right decisions