Handled With Discretion

This collection of essays examines the nature of police discretion and its many varieties. The essays explore the kinds of judgment calls police officers frequently must make : When should they get involved? Whom should they watch? What constitutes a disturbance of the peace? What resources should be devoted to a situation? Does social welfare take precedence over law enforcement? Under what conditions, if any, may police officers engage in selective enforcement of the law? Each essay or pair of essays is followed by a response, presenting contradictory or supplementary views.