Introduction to Policing Criminology Assignment

Instructions for Written Assignment

The topic involves: 

• the use of course materials (requires appropriate citation - avoid citing lecture unless materials are not available in any of the course readings);
• six outside academic sources (see Including Academic Sources below for information that will assist you in determining if a source is an academic source. Note: There are no restrictions on the publication dates for your academic articles but you should keep in mind that more recent articles are usually preferable). You don't need to attach your journal articles to the paper;
• the integration of at least one newspaper article as part of your discussion. NOTE: The news articles you select may come from a current newspaper or from an online news source. The news articles must be attached to your paper, include the publication date, and should be cited appropriately; and
• the provision of critical analysis. For example, consider whether your argument acknowledges the complexities of the criminal justice system, the role of public perceptions and media presentations of information, and the assumptions inherent in each of the arguments you make.

Topic: The Use of Police Discretion in Your Community

Using available sources, select a recent (within the past year) news article(s) that describes an incident involving police in your community. The article(s) may be about a specific criminal event, a series of criminal incidents, an on-going police investigation, or a police-related incident that is before the courts. Drawing from the information included in your news article(s), include a short description about the event, incident, or case.

Using your description and other available resources, discuss how officer discretion, the task environment, and legislation/policies influenced the outcome of the event. Do you believe police officers have too much discretion? If so, how should the discretion of police officers be confined or controlled? If not, why is it important to maintain or increase police discretionary powers?

Remember that your answers to these questions are likely to have real-life consequences so you should think critically about your responses. Be sure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of increasing/maintaining/limiting police discretion.

For this assignment, you will need to locate and use at least one recent news article that discusses crime in your community. You will also need to obtain and use at least six academic (peer-reviewed) journal articles.

Attachment:- Assignment File.rar