Once a law enforcement agency has established that a crime has been committed, a suspect must be identified and apprehended for the case to proceed through the system. Sometimes, a suspect is apprehended at the scene; however, identification of a suspect sometimes requires an extensive investigation. Often, no one is identified or apprehended. In some instances, a suspect is arrested and later the police determine that no crime was committed and the suspect is released. (Bureau of Justice Statistics) If the justice system fails then any crime can be committed such as rape, burglary, murder, driving under the influence, etc.
This is a level of control employed by police officers minus the aid of equipment or weapons. These are two subcategories called soft empty hand techniques and hard empty hand techniques. * If suspect starts swinging on you, you can start using your tools such as baton but don’t be too aggressive. Breaking of the back is permitted because you want to stop the threat. * Deadly Force * If a peace officer has probabl cause to believe that a suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or others then the use of deadly force is justified.
Police Powers in the Public Services P1 – describe the difference between arrest with and without a warrant M1 – explain the requirements of lawful arrest and detention D1 – evaluate the powers of arrest, detention and search There is a legal right that allows UK citizens to arrest another person. This law is given under Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), 1984. In order to carry out a citizen’s arrest, there are certain rules that say when you can and cannot make an arrest. If you have suspicions that someone has committed a crime, these suspicions are not enough, no matter how strong they are. You could find yourself getting into trouble with the police if you carry out an arrest that is incorrect.
The precautions that these agents have to take are for their protection, so that they won’t be in harm’s way. Illegal drug activity, and weapons used in the crime that the defendant’s of gangs use, are used when conducting an investigation of the involvement of the gang members that are involved in a crime.
According to [ (Schmallager, 2009) ]”a crime is a violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or local jurisdiction, for which there is no acceptable legal justification or excuse”. A crime can consist of murder, theft, kidnapping, hijacking, assault and battery, conspiracy, and arson to name a few [ (Schmallager, 2009) ]. When the police are called to a crime they must locate and interview witnesses if possible, locate and hold possible suspects, find evidence, and try to find out what really happened to conclude if there is a crime or not. If the police determine a crime has taken place they will either make an arrest at the scene or have a judge issue an arrest warrant for the suspect(s). The arrest of the suspect(s) is a serious step as police believe they have enough evidence for the courts to convict the suspect.
Officers must use the minimum amount of force necessary when trying to contain a suspect, but that is not always the case. Some officers are seen abusing their power and using excessive force when it is not necessary. How do we determine when the officers have gone over board and it is now police brutality, where do we draw the line? Police brutality is when an officer intentionally uses excessive
Some who favor treatment-based model of supervision have objected to officers carrying a firearm, while others have embraced it. Some agencies throughout the United States have made carrying a weapon an option, some others have gone the mandatory route, while others still do not allow their officers to carry at all. Probation and parole officers experience violent incidents including verbal threats, attacks by offenders' dogs, bomb threats, physical assaults, and resisting arrest. Some argue that probation and parole agencies should authorize their officers to carry firearms in response to these challenges. Parole officers are supervising a violent offender population and are being asked to participate in more aggressive activities.
The primary and most difficult portion of a police officer’s duties is to protect themselves and the public from harm or death. This sometimes requires the use of excessive force but the degree the officer uses can always be in question. Deadly force is defined in the Rampart Independent Review as "responsible and necessary" to protect others or themselves from bodily harm (Drooyan, R, 2000). Deadly force is essentially broken down into three categories: immediate defense of life, to prevent crime where people are at risk of death or serious bodily injury and to apprehend a fleeing felon who poses a serious risk to others. An officer must exercise deadly force appropriately by always using alternatives and only resorting to such extreme measures when deemed necessary.
The actual purpose of the police in theory is to deter crime before it happens. The police are first responders and they are only as effective as there public support. Law enforcements role in the judicial system is to enforce laws. The police's main role is the upkeep of the queen’s peace and to prevent and detect crime. Keeping the peace means providing a presence at known trouble hot spots for example city centres.
Police officers give and receive orders from the dispatcher. They must be able to clearly communicate their location, their estimated time of arrival and other important information to dispatch. The dispatcher must be able to clearly communicate addresses, times, cross streets and road conditions for the officers in pursuit to arrive quickly and safely to the scene of the crime or crisis. Two-way verbal communication between the dispatcher and the police officer can be a matter of life and death in an emergency. When an officer speaks to a public citizen who needs to be instructed about official expectations verbal skills are highly important.