Re: Snow, Ice and "Discretionary" Enforcement(LONG!)

[Ron Force <rforce@moscow.com>]

Bob Hoffmann wrote:

> At 10:03 AM 01/14/2000 -0800, Dan Weaver wrote:
> >Discretion is defined as "the power to decide or act according to one's own
> >judgement".
>
> Officer discretion can also mean that an officer is more likely to issue a
> citation to people he generally disapproves of--people with "disagreeable"
> clothes, hair, attitudes, cars, skin color, etc.  I am not saying that all
> cops act like this, and I am not saying that this is a major problem in
> Moscow.  I am saying that discretion is a sword that cuts both ways.  I am
> wondering what kind of "discretion" resulted in the citation under
> discussion.

Or, for that matter, no citation.  An acquaintance shares the last name of a
prominent local family, although he's no relation.  He and his wife were on
their way to a party (dressed up).  He was stopped for some kind of traffic
violation.  The officer looked at his license, then at him and his wife and said
"Excuse me, Mr. ....., have a nice evening!", and let them go.
--
Ron Force    rforce@moscow.com
Moscow, Idaho