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Policing and the Law

NCJ Number
193352
Editor(s)
Jeffrey T. Walker
Date Published
2002
Length
232 pages
Annotation
Through a series of articles, this book examined the law in relation to policing, addressed using the law as a tool in police work, as well the law providing oversight of police work through judicial review.
Abstract
There is no doubt that the law is intricately linked with the realm of policing. In using the law as a tool in police work, police have the ability to enforce the law. While enforcing the law, police officers receive significant oversight from the law. Virtually everything police officers do is subject to judicial review. This book offers a detailed and broader statement of the law in relation to policing. The book consists of 11 chapters vital to police officers. It was written to assist both the officer on the street and the administrator charged with making departmental decisions. The book is divided into two major sections, operational issues and the law and administrative issues and the law. Under operational aspects and the law, legal issues of police operations are addressed. An overview of Supreme Court decisions relating to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment, such as search and seizure, civil liability, use of canines, and investigations concerning computers and the Internet are presented, setting the foundation for the remaining chapters on police operations. Administrative aspects of legal issues in policing begins with a discussion of how police officers and police agencies typically react to changes in the legal environment. Four responses to changes in the legal environment consist of two illegitimate responses (avoidance and monkey-wrenching) and two legitimate responses (distinguishing and lobbying). In addition, legal issues relating to privacy rights of police officers, affirmative action and police selection, and age limitations and discrimination of police officers are discussed. The last chapter summarizes the themes presented in the book. It reinforced the importance of the relationship between police and the law. It is noted that police officers must work within the law, in relation to how they carry out their duties and how their duties are controlled by the law. References