Police work involves enforcing the law and keeping the peace.

The Police are the largest segment of the Criminal Justice System.

Police work is primarily a “PEACEKEEPING” operation. It's what separates the functions of police from those of private citizens.

lProtecting the public safety

lNeighborhood disputes

lDomestic arguments

lSchool problems

lTraffic enforcement

Advising and counseling

 The right to use force authorizes " that level of force" needed to perform the job. From “stern commands,” to “hands on,” to “physical force,” to “defensive weapons,” (baton, tazer, dogs, less-than-lethal-weapons), to “deadly force.” The Right to Use Force authorizes that level necessary at the time of use.  It does not require an “escalation of force.” (e.g. 1^st verbal commands, then physical force, then less-than-lethal, then deadly).

Use of Force :

Uneccesary use of force: occurs during a struggle. Example - pulling to hard on the arms of a handcuffed suspect. Punishment- new training

Excessive use of force : using force after the suspect has been subdued. Example - pulling too hard on a handcuffed suspect who just spit in your face. Punishment-new training or disciplinary action( suspension, demotion).

Brutality : intentionally using physical force on an individual who is subdued and not resisting. Punishment- is a criminal offense, so termination from employment and possibly criminal charges.

First responders, initial investigations, etc. (foot patrol, bicycle patrol). Considered to be the backbone of police departments. Has five specific functions:

• to protect public safety
• to enforce the law
• to control traffic
• to conduct criminal investigation
• to interpret the law

established after the riots in the 1960s because they realized police could not handle large civil riots. They are highly trained in use of high powered and automatic type weapons. They are called upon to do all high risk entries.

conduct necessary follow-up investigation.

truancy, decoy( In decoy operations, non-uniformed officers in high-crime areas pose as potential victims-drunks, tourists, young women, the elderly, or the disabled- in order to attract and apprehend street criminals.) vice, gambling, etc.

Supervisors sometimes ignore minor violations committed by an officer in exchange for adherence to a few important rules.

An experiment where three levels of police patrol were examined.  

•Normal Patrol – a single patrolling car in an area when not responding to calls for service.

•Proactive Patrol – 2 to 3 times more patrol units for increased visibility of officers.

•Reactive Patrol – only respond to call for service – no patrol cars patrolling areas.

The study concluded that there was not significant difference in the following areas:

•The amount of crimes reported to the police or in victim surveys

•No increase in observed criminal activity

•No reduction in the public’s fear of crime

•No change in the public’s satisfaction with police service

 The Kansas Cityexperiment suggested that police patrol was not deterring crime.

The values and behavior patterns characteristic of experienced police officers.

Danger and Authority:

• Tendency toward “suspicion”
• Caution displayed on all vehicle stops
• The element of authority reinforces the element of danger in socially isolating the police officer from the general public.

 Police Cynicism : The notion held by many officers that all people are motivated by evil and selfishness. Developed through contact with police subculture and the very anture of police work.

the proportion of crimes that result in arrest

It is defined as a collaborative effort between the police and the community to identify the problems of crime and disorder and develop solutions within the community. Officers are assigned particular neighborhoods, often “walking the beat” listening to concerns of residents. Community policing recognizes that crime control is accomplished informally by the people living and working in the neighborhood. It also requires the police to analyze problems and develop solutions. Input from community is crucial.

the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. Most “discretion” used by the police is found at the lowest rankings (the enforcement officers) of the police agency – not the upper administration or ranks.

The freedom to choose among the variety of alternatives in conducting police operations.

used when :

• the offense is trivial
• the victim is a party to the offense
• an arrest would cause undue harm to the offender