Week 1

• What is the definition of police discretion?

  The right to be selective in police work
• What are the key elements of police discretion?

  Deciding which rules to apply and whether to apply them
• Who stated that police discretion is concentrated in lower ranks?

  Lipsky
• What are the sources of police discretion?

  Nature of criminal law, work environment, limited resources
• How does the nature of criminal law contribute to police discretion?

  Vague definitions and conflicting expectations exist
• What are some situational features influencing discretionary decisions?

  Seriousness of crime, strength of evidence, victim preference
• What is a problem with uncontrolled police discretion?

  Denial of equal protection under the law
• What are potential solutions to problems caused by police discretion?

  Abolish discretion, enhance judgment, implement policies
• What is evidence-based policing?

  Using research to inform police policy and practice
• What type of study was the Minneapolis domestic violence experiment?

  Experiment
• What was the focus of the cross-sectional study in Flint, Michigan?

  Policing domestic violence
• What is the DASH risk model related to?

  Risk-led policing in the UK
• What are the conclusions regarding the relationship between police and empirical research?

  • Changing relationship between police and research
  • Value of 'evidence' versus how 'evidence' is valued by police