What is the importance of police discretion?
Police discretion is a very important aspect in matters concerning criminal justice. There has been a constant dilemma between enforcing the law to the latter and/or to the spirit of the law. Discretion in the broader sense can be defined as the individual’s ability to make a decision basing on the principle of courses of the action.
Ref – http://criminology-articles.blogspot.com/2012/09/police-discretion.html
The importance of police discretion is to allow the officer to analyze a person;s behavior. They can decide whether the person is going to commit a crime or is just being themselves. Officers can then decide whether they can be let go or taken into custody. The reason it is important for officers to be able to decide this because it will save them time from arresting everyone. Some people do not need to be arrested or taken into custody.
