Discretion is a major part of a police officer’s role, and the decision they make in a split second can have many different outcomes and consequences. In Chapter 5, you learned about tactical decision-making and scenario-based training for new officers.
Imagine you are a new criminal justice professional who is asked to participate in a review board concerning a disturbance call that has captured coverage by the news and social media.
Preparation
Read the Sidebar 11-2, “Police Discretion in a Routine Disturbance Call,” on page 380 from Ch. 11, “Police Discretion,” of The Police in America: An Introduction.
Police Discretion in a Routine Disturbance Call
Stage 1: Officer dispatched to 911 call about a “disturbance.”
Officer response: How should the officer prepare himself or herself for the call?
Stage 2: Officer arrives on scene and discovers that there is a mentally ill person acting out.
Officer response: What actions should the officer take? Call for backup? Handle the situation alone? Assess the potential danger to other people?
Stage 3: The mentally ill person says he will kill the officer.
Officer response: Should the officer change his or her plan of action? If so, in what way? Warn the person? Threaten the person with arrest? Draw his or her weapon? Call for backup (if not done already)? Attempt verbal de-escalation?
Stage 4: The mentally ill person picks up a baseball bat.
Officer response: What should the officer do? Reassess the potential danger? Order the person to drop the bat? Threaten to arrest again? Attempt verbal de-escalation?
Stage 5: The mentally ill person says, “Go ahead and shoot me. I want to die.”
Officer response: What should the officer do now? Shoot him? Try more verbal de- escalation? Ask family members or friends who are present about how serious is the person’s mental health issue? Ask one of these people to speak to the person?
Stage 6: The mentally ill person throws the bat away. (It is now at a safe distance from him.)
Officer response: What should the officer do now? Order him to lie on the ground? Threaten arrest? Make an arrest?
Stage 7: The mentally ill person falls to the ground, crying.
Officer response: Now what should the officer do?
Final stage: What should the officer do to bring the incident to an end?
Consider the different stages the officer faces in the scenario.
Select stage 4, 5, or 6 and review the officer response provided.
Considering the actions taken during the disturbance call, respond to the following prompts in 125–175 words each:
Describe possible decision points that the officer may have faced.
Explain how one decision the officer could have made modeled abuse of discretion or positive use of discretion.
Describe factors that may limit the officer’s discretion.
Explain at least 3 internal and 3 external mechanisms police departments use for accountability.