Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am looking for some suggestions, I have a paper for my police studies class. The question is: what are the constitutional constraints placed on policing. Do these constitutional constraints fairl/unfairly protect criminlas/victims of crime? Particular emphasis should be given to the 1st amendment.

Police can't beat the **** outta liberals. Sucks, I know.

Look up the first amendment, then see how that is involved in police work.

You should have asked this the ask-a-cop. Then you wouldn't get oxygen thieves like texicanadian responding to your question.

Although the troll does have a point.

I am looking for some suggestions, I have a paper for my police studies class. The question is: what are the constitutional constraints placed on policing. Do these constitutional constraints fairl/unfairly protect criminlas/victims of crime? Particular emphasis should be given to the 1st amendment.

Should we write the whole paper for you? Let me guess, it's due this week?

The only time the 1st Amendment impacts my ability to do my job is when the media shows up on my scene and begins to interfere. When that happens I simply ask them to stop, and they do. The rule is that if the general public can be in a certain area, so can the media. To combat this, you limit the places the general public can go... problem solved.

I try to stage the media in a certain area and give them material to shoot with their cameras. My policy limits my ability to "trophy" an arrestee, but it doesn't say I can't give the media good shots. Under most situations, the media will cooperate with you, especially if you cooperate with them.

The other issue is political demonstrations... this can be trick at times. If a group is demonstrating in a public area, I let them demonstrate. If they take it to private property or they block a business from conducting normal business, we may have an issue. But usually the leaders of the groups will police their own people. I try to meet with the leaders ahead of time to determine vital information: number of demonstrators, which groups will be represented, when they will start and finish, what they hope to accomplish. I then explain the rules and give them my responsibilities. Opening up lines of direct communication has worked very well. Not always, but usually.

Other than that, the 1st Amendment is the least of my concerns.