Discretion in Policing

• Why is discretion important in policing?
• Is police discretion “fair” to society and offenders?
• If police officers had NO discretion (mandatory action required), would this be “fair” to society and offenders?
• What problems or concerns might arise from allowing police discretion?
• What impacts would the removal of police discretion have on the criminal justice system as a whole (i.e. police required to take formal enforcement action for every violation)?