Law enforcement operations consist of many diverse activities that are directed toward the attainment of department objectives. Activities such as patrolling, conducting field interviews and issuing traffic citations are not objectives in themselves; rather, they are methods of achieving the real objectives of preventing and deterring crime, arresting criminal offenders, and preventing traffic crashes.

Decisions in law enforcement operations frequently must be made in an instant, and the lives of officers and others may depend upon the quality of those decisions. An officer is confronted in stressful situations with both criminal and non-criminal behavior, and must be capable of making a reasonable response in both cases. An officer must base conduct and action in each instance upon the facts of the situation as they reasonably appear, relying upon experience, training, and judgment to guide her/him toward lawful decisions and actions.

Revised July 1, 2011

Last Edited: March 21, 2017