Police Discretion: The Ideal versus the Real

Abstract

Very often one of the misconceptions about the administrator's job is that the administrator has very little discretion in the execution of the law. Here is a clear illustration of the discretion the administrator actually has, within the framework of law enforcement administration. Here, also, the author clearly indicates that, more often than not, the real problem lies in the avoidance of the tough job of determining, at the policy level, what goals are to be achieved and then furnishing the wherewithal to achieve those goals.

Keywords: Police, Law enforcement, Policing, Administrative law, Discretion