LAWS 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Community Policing, Criminal Law, Indictable Offence
Document Summary
Functions of police: maintain law and order, and to protect (persons and property, duty to prevent crime, detection and arrest of criminals (focus of the media, charging responsibilities (often with the crown) Social services (75% of work: maintenance of order. Back off right away (not a police/criminal law business( Charge or not (evoking the criminal law) Criminal code: duty not to arrest without warrant in certain. 494 (1) any one may arrest without warrant. Individual concerns of compassion humanity, charity nastiness, etc, Practical considerations re allocation of resources at individual"s level including efficiency concerns. Modern context for police work: changing demographics. Financing less money/more work: growth of private policing (huge issue in terms of the modern context. Very focused/specialized in commercial type crimes, gatted homes in communities etc. : changing crime trends, changing investigative techniques. Police culture: traditionally conservative bodies oriented to status quo (hired to enfoce the rules of the state) questioned for the nature of the job.