Because of the nature of law enforcement work, police officers have always maintained a certain amount of discretion. Due to the amount of interaction that officers have with members of the public, this discretion must be fair, equal, impartial, and legal. As such, the use of discretion by officers is both a foundation of police work and a component of community policing. Review the below scenarios. For each scenario, provide a justification for every possible response (Part A). In your justification, include the factors that support or influence each response. In Part B, choose how you personally would respond, provide a rationale for why you feel it is the most appropriate response for the scenario, and explain the role that discretion played in your decision. Using Microsoft Word, copy the scenarios, and provide your answers directly in Parts A and B under each question. : You respond to a call of a theft. Upon arrival, you find that an 18-year-old female has stolen baby formula and diapers by exiting the store without paying. You speak with her and find that she has a newborn baby, does not have any source of income, and needed the formula and diapers for the baby. As such, theft is still a crime. Do you arrest the woman or not? Why? . . : You respond to an armed robbery. You notice an individual matching the description of the offender. As
you approach him, you observe what appears to be a gun in his waistband. Do you immediately attempt to stop him? Or do you wait for backup? Why? . : You stop a 16-year-old for going through a red light. He explains to you that he is late for work. Do you give him a ticket? . : You arrest a male individual. Just as you place the handcuffs on him, he breaks free and jumps into a nearby contaminated lake in order to avoid arrest. What actions do you take? Who do you notify? Do you jump in the lake? . : As a police officer, you are assigned to the same location every day. You become very familiar with the crime that takes place, specifically drug sales, robberies, and shootings. You are aware that a specific gang is responsible for the majority of the crimes. The gang members are all male, are of the same race, wear the same colors of clothing, and populate the exact area that you are assigned to during the time that these crimes take place. While on patrol, you observe the individuals matching the description of the gang members committing all of these crimes. The citizens are calling for the police to take action. What behaviors raise your suspicion? What action do you take? Do you stop these individuals? Do you search these individuals? How do you go about investigating these individuals? . Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: