Book
Public Policy and Police Discretion: Process of Decriminalization
(1984)
Abstract
"Part I presents a process-oriented perspective of public policy in which formal rules emerge, are implemented by various bureaucratic personnel (notably the police), and eventually impact society. Discretion is the key element that determines how the law affects society. Part II addresses the initial stage of the policy process, i.e., lawmaking. It examines the case for the decriminalization of various victimless crimes, explores the processes and politics of legal change, and identifies the link between formal decriminalization and its implementation. Goal formation in the decriminalization of public drunkenness is considered. Part III, which deals with the enforcement stage of the policymaking process, presents three case studies of police discretionary management of decriminalized public drunkenness in Washington, D.C.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Minneapolis, Minn. The focus is on the effect of bureaucratic discretion on the law's implementation. Part IV suggests how policymakers should manage police discretion to ensure the realization of particular public policy goals. Tools for managing police discretion include rules, incentives, and sanctions. Chapter notes, tabular data, and subject index."
Keywords
- Law,
- Public policy
Disciplines
Publication Date
1984
Publisher
Clark Boardman Company, Ltd
ISBN
978-0876323472
Citation Information
David Aaronson , C. Thomas Dienes and Michael C. Musheno. Public Policy and Police Discretion: Process of Decriminalization. (1984) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/david_aaronson/16/