Chat with AIExam 2: B: Police Psychology
Define "police discretion" and name three areas of policing in which discretion is often used.
(75) 
Verified-Police discretion is the quality that enables officers to discriminate between those situations that require strict adherence to the law and those in which a certain amount of latitude is justified.
-Typically,police officers are called upon to use a degree of discretion when dealing with cases of youth crime,mentally ill offenders,domestic disturbances,and cases involving the potential use of force.
List four reasons why police discretion is necessary,as indicated by Sheehan and Cordner (1989).
(89) Verified-A police officer who attempts to enforce all the laws all the time would be in the police station and in court all the time and thus of little use when serious problems arise in the community.
-Legislatures pass some laws that they clearly do not intend to have strictly enforced all the time.
-Legislatures pass some laws that are vague,making it necessary for the police to interpret them and decide when to apply them.
-Most law violations are minor in nature,such as driving slightly over the posted speed limit,and do not require full enforcement of the law.
-Full enforcement of all the laws all the time would alienate the public and undermine support for the police.
-Full enforcement of all the laws all the time would overwhelm the criminal justice system,including the prisons.
-The police have many duties to perform with limited resources; good judgment must therefore be used in establishing enforcement priorities.
Name and describe two of the three most common types of police selection procedures.
(77) Verifieda.The selection interview: This is a semi-structured interview intended to determine the degree to which an applicant possesses the knowledge,skills,and abilities (KSAs)that characterize a "good" police officer.
b.Psychological tests: These include tests of cognitive ability that tap into skills like memory and logic (e.g.,RPAT)and personality tests that attempt to identify stress reactions,interpersonal styles,and psychopathological problems (e.g.,MMPI).
c.Assessment centres: This refers to facilities in which police-related behaviours can be observed by multiple raters usually in the context of simulated tasks (i.e.,situational tests).
Name four main sources of police stress and provide an example of each.
(86) In general,there are two stages involved in developing a valid police selection process.Name these stages and explain them briefly.
(76) You are a police officer who has encountered a mentally ill person causing a disturbance.What are the three main options available to you in this situation? Identify a disadvantage associated with each.
(97) What are the main conclusions from Butler and Hall's (2008)study of use of force using data from the Calgary Police Service?
(90) 
Filters
- Essay(0)
- Multiple Choice(0)
- Short Answer(0)
- True False(0)
- Matching(0)