Law Enforcement

Catalog description

This course focuses on the historical role of police officers and the growth and expansion of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. In contemporary America, police officers use discretion in making the following decisions (a few among many important decisions): whether to enforce a specific law, to investigate specific crimes, to stop and search, to arrest or detain an individual and whether to refer cases to the prosecuting attorney for filing of formal criminal charges. Special attention is given to the future of law enforcement in relation to terrorism and homeland security.