NCJ Number
193363
Date Published
2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
In this chapter, a brief overview of the previous chapters is presented that examines a variety of relationships between the police and the law and a review of three cases emphasizing the need for the police to pay close attention to the U.S. Supreme Court and their thoughts and words.
Abstract
Discussions on the police and law usually focus on general enforcement by the police and violations of the law by the police. This chapter provides a brief overview, from preceding chapters in the book, on a variety of issues surrounding the police and law. Areas covered include the number of ways to use the law to enforce specific types of criminal activities, the position of the courts, and the way in which certain laws affect the police operationally and dealing with policy. It was determined from the previous chapters that there was more to policing and the law than just enforcement, specifically how much control court decisions had on police enforcement of the law. Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court play an important role in police activities making it clear that the police need to be attentive to what the Court might potentially say. Those accepted practices should be scrutinized. Three cases are presented to illustrate how sometimes the police win and sometimes they do not; these cases include: (1) probable cause; (2) anonymous tip; and (3) reasonable suspicion. Policing and the law entails not only enforcement on the street but what takes place in the courtroom. There needs to be an awareness and understanding of policing in both the street and the courtroom. References