Learning Objectives

  1. Discuss the meaning of police discretion, why it is necessary, and why it needs to be controlled
     
  2. Identify the factors that have been shown by research studies to strongly and consistently influence the decisions of officers
     
  3. Propose how discretion may best be controlled
     
  4. Discuss the limitations of organizational rules and policies in controlling the discretion of officers
     
  5. Describe the limitations of trying to control police discretion by enhancing the professional judgment of officers
     
  6. Explain how body-worn cameras might serve to control the discretion of officers
     
  7. Discuss the importance of ethical conduct in policing and the limitations of ethics training in police departments today
     
  8. Evaluate how departmental values can affect the use of police discretion