Unit IV Reflection Paper

After reading this chapter, you can see that discretion is a large part of an officer's job. Officers must constantly think on their feet and make decisions, frequently without their supervisor or anyone else assisting them.

In this assignment, you will be focusing on officer discretion and placing yourself in the shoes of officers. Think about the chapter and lesson as you do this assignment.

Use the below questions to complete a two-page, APA style paper.

1. What is officer discretion? Why do citizens often view it as placing too much power in the hands of officers?

2. For the fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth amendments, what are situations in which officers may find themselves having to use discretion?

Give examples of how officers could positively use discretion and protect a citizen's rights and an example of how they could negatively use discretion and violate a person's rights.

3. Are there exceptions or protections to officer's use of discretion? What about in the above amendments?

4. Analyze how officers' rights can be violated.