CH5 Police Powers & Decision Making Flashcards
where do the police derive their powers?
statute law, case law, common law, municipal bylaws
arrest warrant
document that allows police officer to arrest a specific person for a specified reason
information
written statement sworn by an informant saying that a person has committed a criminal offence
search warrant
document that allows police to search a specific location
lets them take items that might be evidence to crime
entrapment
someone ends up committing a crime that they usually wouldn’t have committed after being subjected to pressure and cunning from the police
one plus one (use of force)
police get to use a higher level of force to deal with what they are confronted with
what are the 5 force options available to police officers
- officer presence
- dialogue (talking things thru)
- empty hands (using physical force)
- compliance tools (using equipment)
- lethal force
suicide by cop
when someone forces the police to use lethal force
victim-precipitated homicides
discretion
being able to choose between different options when confronted with a difficult decision
typifications
what a police officer thinks is “typical” behavior/activities
recipes for action
the actions a policeman would typically take in certain types of situations
discrimination
making distinctions based on group, class, category rather than individual merit
bias-free policing
requiring police to make decisions based on reasonable suspicion rather than stereotypes
racial profiling
targeting specific members of a racial group due to stereotypes
eg black driving
principle of accountability
the actions of police are subject to review and can be reviewed by formal channels
ppl can lodge complaints against what police do
