NCJ Number
100850
Journal
Justice Professional Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (December 1985) Pages: 14-25
Date Published
1985
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article examines legal and ethical issues in police use of proactive patrol strategies.
Abstract
Police have increased their reliance on proactive patrol, especially in dealing with white-collar crime and recidivists. Despite their effectiveness, proactive strategies run the risk of violating the individual's moral, social, and legal right to privacy. These strategies also infringe upon personal autonomy. Moreover, police undercover investigations raise issues of distributive justice and entrapment, and the process of targeting certain individuals considered potentially dangerous to the community requires a redefinition of the police role. Because the police are a socially sanctioned group capable of dispensing force when necessary to realize its assigned objectives, the extent to which society limits the objectives, access, and techniques of the police defines the realm of personal privacy and autonony, in turn affecting the quality of life. 30 footnotes.