Chapter 5: Overview of Law Enforcement

What is jurisdiction?

The authority of a court to hear a case.

- usually jurisdiction is established when some part of the crime was committed within the geographical jurisdiction of a district court

Chief law enforcement officer in US

US Attorney General

Departments of Public Safety

police and fire departments

Sworn Personnel

officers having authority to arrest and carry a firearm and powers of search and seizure

Nonsworm Personnel

paraprofessionals, administrative personnel, and other technicians employed by a police department

Three law enforcement duties of the sheriff

1. law enforcement in unincorporated areas

2. courts

3. corrections

National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

the nations largest database of computerized criminal information on wanted felons, people on parol, criminal history, and stolen items such as cars, boars, guns, and securities

What are special police?

people who have limited jurisdiction in geography and in police powers

Examples of special police

- airport police

- park police

- transit police

- public school police

- game warden

Field Training Programs

a probationary period during which police academy graduates train in the community under direct supervision of experienced officers

Police Academy

facility or program the education and training of police officers

Three Operational Stages of Policing

1. preventative patrol

2. rapid response to calls

3. Criminal Investigation

Broken Windows Theory

the belief that ignoring public-order violations and disruptive behaviors leads to community neglect, which fosters further disorder and crime

Zero-tolerance strategy

strict enforcement of the laws, even for minor violations

Common characteristics of community policing

1. focused on decentralized strategies that promote crime prevention rather than rapid response, crime investigation, and apprehension of the criminal

2. focus on promoting the quality of life of the community and public rather than law enforcement

3. uses alternatives other than arrest and force to solve the problem rather than respond to the symptoms of the problem