Police officers often encounter situations where the decision to use discretion challenges the way and type of work officers would normally perform. Every day an officer is on the job, discretion appears when it comes to job duties, sometimes without any warning. Officers constantly struggle with the appearance of discretion and often don't know how to handle the situation when it appears. Discretion can take many different forms in job duties, but it always involves the officer letting a crime "slide" rather than questioning every suspicious person. Letting a crime “slide,” for some offenders, is of great concern to police department administrators, because there is the possibility that ethical issues will emerge later. This essay will examine police discretion, the factors that influence it, the appropriateness of exercising it, and administrators' concerns when it comes to police use of discretion in the field. Discretion is often one of the most critical aspects of a police officer's daily duties. . In the past, police discretion was considered taboo until 1956, when a study conducted by the American Bar Foundation found that there is nothing illegal or improper about discretion, and that it is actually a practice (“The Role of Discretion in Police Work”, 2012). Before discretion was officially accepted as practice, police officers would not admit to being involved in police discretion. The fundamental definition of discretion is the use of personal choices in the performance of typical police job duties. For example, a police officer may decide to arrest a suspect for police interference, but will let another suspect go home, for the same crime. When discretion is used, however... at the heart of the paper... it is of great concern to the police administration, which is why the use of discretion is controversial. The use of discretion to some extent is appropriate, but as stated previously, only if discretion is not abused and misused. Works Cited About the Use of Police Discretion. (2004, January 6). Information on the use of police discretion. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.caught.net/prose/policediscretiSiegel, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2012). Police problems. Introduction to criminal justice (13th ed., pp. 252-258). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. The role of discretion in police work, its strengths and weaknesses. (n.d.). The role of discretion in police work, its strengths and weaknesses. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.researchomatic.com/essay/The-Role-Of-Discretion-In-Police-Work-Its-Strengths-And-Its-Weaknesses-95144.aspx