STUDY GUIDE

INTRODUCTION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

The purpose of the study guide is to familiarize
yourself with the terms you will study in class.
This study guide alone will not allow you to pass
your exam. You must attend the prep-course.
 Introduction to Law Enforcement

** The purpose of this study guide is to familiarize yourself with

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

Contents
Instructions: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

The Role of Law Enforcement ……………………..…………………………………………………………......... 5

Prosecution……………….………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Defense Attorneys……………………………….….……………………………………………………………………. 5

Courts…………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Corrections………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………. 5-6

The Federal Law Enforcement System….………………………………………………………………………. 6-7

State Police………….………………..………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

County Police…….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7-8

Municipal Police………………………………………………………………………………………………............... 8-9

Image……………….…………….……………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Professionalism………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

Subculture……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 9-10

Women and Other Minorities in Policing………………………………………………………………………… 10

Practice Exam…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11-15

Answer Key…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

Overview of the United States Criminal Justice System and Process

In the United States, there are different levels of the criminal justice
system. They may be similar, but they are their own entities and differ by the
jurisdictions that are in charge. The different jurisdictions are: city, county,
state, federal, tribal government, or military installation. Each jurisdiction has
different laws, agencies, and ways of managing the criminal justice process.
There are typically five different parts of the criminal justice system: law
enforcement, prosecution, defense, and court corrections.
The Role of Law Enforcement: Law enforcement officers take reports of crimes
that happen in their areas. Officers investigate crimes and gather and protect
evidence. Law enforcement officers may arrest offenders, give testimony during
the court process, and conduct follow-up investigations if needed.

Prosecution: Prosecutors are lawyers who represent the state or federal

government (not the victim) throughout the court process-from the first
appearance of the accused in court until the accused is acquitted or sentenced.
Prosecutors review the evidence brought to them by law enforcement to decide
whether to file charges or to drop the case. Prosecutors present evidence in
court, question witnesses, and decide (at any point after charges have been filed)
whether to negotiate plea bargains with defendants. They have great discretion
or freedom to make choices about how to prosecute the case. Victims may
contact the prosecutor's office to find out which prosecutor is in charge of their
case, to inform the prosecutor if the defense attorney has contacted the victim2,
and to seek other information about the case.

Defense Attorneys: Defense attorneys defend the accused against the

government's case. They are either hired by the defendant or for defendants
who cannot afford an attorney, they are assigned by the court. While the
prosecutor represents the state, the defense attorney represents the defendant.

Courts: Courts are run by judges, whose role is to make sure the law is
followed and to oversee what happens in court. They decide whether to release
offenders before the trial. Judges accept or reject plea agreements, oversee
trials, and sentence convicted offenders.

Corrections: Correction officers supervise convicted offenders when they

are in jail, in prison, or in the community on probation or parole. In some
communities, corrections officers prepare pre-sentencing reports with extensive

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

background information about the offender to help judges decide sentences. The
job of corrections officers is to make sure the facilities that hold offenders are
secure and safe. They oversee the day-to-day custody of inmates. They also
oversee the release processes for inmates and sometimes notify victims of
changes in the offenders’ statuses. (National Center for Victims of Crime. 2008.
VictimsofCrime.com)

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement Systems in the United States

The Federal Law Enforcement System

There are fifty federal law enforcement agencies, and every agency is a part
of the executive branch of the national government. The foremost agencies are:

1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): They are a Department of

Justice agency that investigates over two hundred categories of federal
crimes. The focus of the FBI in protecting the nation includes:
terrorism, civil rights crime, white collar crimes, and violent crimes
(e.g. bank robberies and kidnapping). They also focus on organized
crime, which includes drug trafficking. They also help out other law
enforcement agencies with their crime statistics, crime labs, fingerprint
databases, and their training academy. Due to organized crime expanding,
they have also gained more authority, which includes wiretapping, to help
combat it.

2. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF): This agency is

a part of the Treasury Department. They investigate the criminal use
of explosives and firearms. The ATF also focuses on criminal motorcycle
gangs that break federal firearms, explosives, and drug trafficking laws.

3. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): This agency is a part of

the Department of Justice, and is in charge of all federal drug control
laws. This agency investigates narcotic violators, seizes drugs, and arrests
drug traffickers.

4. The United States Marshals Service: Marshals are in charge of

capturing escaped federal prisoners and supervising those arrested.
They also operate the U.S Federal Witness Protection Program. The U.S.
Federal Witness Protection Program is where witnesses to those in federal
trials get new identities and receive security. Marshals also offer protection
to the members of the federal judiciary, except the U.S. Supreme Court,
who has their own police force. There is also security for all federal courts.

5. The Secret Service: Mostly known as the protectors of the president

and other officials of the federal government, but they are also
responsible for capturing anyone counterfeiting U.S money.

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

6. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS): They are in charge

of controlling the flow of immigrants into the U.S. They patrol the U.S.
borders and stop illegal immigrants from entering the country. The INS
agents will deport any aliens who violate any U.S. naturalization laws.

Several law enforcement agencies send officers overseas. The number of

officers stationed overseas has been increasing in response to the higher rates
of drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism. There are American law
enforcement officers in over 50 countries. (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-
subjects/criminal-justice/police-function/police-systems)

State Police

State police agencies have jurisdiction statewide, and every state has their
own police force, with the exception of Hawaii. There is no state police in
Hawaii. The four counties in the state are each responsible for its own police
force (http://www.honolulupd.org/department/index.php?page=history). The
nation’s largest state police force is the California Highway Patrol. State police
agencies are in charge of some or all of the following jobs:

 Operating a crime lab

 Patrolling the state’s highways
 Training municipal and county police
 Maintaining centralized crime records for the state
 Assisting local law enforcement organizations in criminal investigations
(http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/criminal-justice/police-
function/police-systems)

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

County Police

The county sheriff is elected. Sheriffs are responsible for policing rural
and unincorporated areas of more than 3,000 counties in the United States. The
largest sheriff’s office is the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department with over
11,000 full-time employees. There are more than 3,000 sheriffs’ departments in
the United States; 19 of those departments have only one employee, so the
sheriffs’ offices can vary greatly in size. The duties of a sheriff are:

 Law enforcement
 Court bailiffs
 Correctional duties
 Prisoner transport to and from court
 Serving court papers

Municipal Police

“City police represent the largest number of agencies, employ most

of the sworn officers, and shoulder the heaviest responsibility for dealing
with violent crime. Mayors or city managers appoint the chiefs that head big
city police departments. Departments vary in size and in the types of crimes that
face them. The “Big Six” departments—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Houston, Philadelphia, and Detroit—deal with the most serious violent crimes.
The New York Police Department employs more than 36,000 full‐time officers. It
confronts shootings, scandals, and corruption that make the national headlines.
Most departments employ only a few people. In small departments, most calls to
the police involve traffic violations and minor disturbances.”
(http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/criminal-justice/police-function/police-
systems)

There are several types of local law enforcement agencies including:

 City Police Department

 County Sheriff’ offices
 Transit Authority Police
 School District Police

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

 Housing Authority Police

 District Attorneys’ Office Investigators
 Airport police
 Harbor Police
 University Police
 Hospital Police
(http://www.golawenforcement.com/LawEnforcementAgencies.htm)

Some of these local law enforcement agencies fall under special district
police agencies. A special district is defined by state law as “any agency of
the state for local performance of governmental or proprietary functions
within limited boundaries.” It is a special district that is a separate local
governmental agency that is formed to provide local services. Whenever taxes
are not enough for cities and counties to provide all the services wanted by its
citizens, these districts are formed to pay for them. Some special districts are fire
protection, water districts, harbor districts, school districts, and open spaces. The
advantage to special districts is it can link costs to the benefits the citizens will
gain. These special districts are also responsive to their citizens and can tailor
their services specifically to their demands.
(http://www.smcmad.org/what_is_special_district.htm)

Police Issues

Image: The perceptions are usually based on the personal interactions people
may have. Studies have shown that people report positive feedback when the
officer they had interactions with treated them fairly and respectfully. Their
opinion wouldn’t change even if they had been given a speeding ticket. When a
person felt that they received the correct and just actions given by the law
enforcement agency, they are more likely to comply in the future. Media also
plays a part in the way the public has perceived the police, but not as much as
personal experience. Being exposed to the media reports of police corruption or
police brutalities will strongly influence a person’s perspective of police being
more prone to brutalities or misconducts. (http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-
enforcement/legitimacy/pages/perceptions.aspx)

Professionalism: “Professionalism, by definition, involves belonging to a

profession and behaving in a way that is consistent with professional
standards. A profession is an occupation that requires extensive training, and

10

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

the study and mastery of specialized knowledge. It usually requires accreditation,

certification or licensing. It has a specific code of ethics, and it holds its members
accountable. Professionalism also means having an internal set of standards of
performance and behavior. Professionals aspire to high ideals: altruism; honor
and integrity; respect; excellence and scholarship; caring, compassion, and
communication; leadership; and responsibility and accountability.” (Carter,
Lycia.2006)
http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arc
h&article_id=971&issue_id=82006)

Subculture: “A subculture is a group of individuals who generally share

attitudes, perceptions, assumptions, values, beliefs, ways of living, and
traditions.” Since police work has such unique experiences, the subculture
that would become more dominant would be their work peers instead of
their families. In some instances, the line between constructive dedication and
misguided allegiance can interfere with the main point of law enforcement. A
group of law officers who have shared many dangerous incidents may
develop an even bigger attachment to one another. They may develop the
mentality that their way of handling certain situations is the right and only way to
do them. These units may also feel superior to other members of law
enforcement, and can lead to separating themselves from the rest of their
agencies. The overall mission of law enforcement can be compromised by a lack
of strong leadership, and the inability to see the lines blurred from misguided
loyalty. (Martin, Rich, 2011. http://leb.fbi.gov/2011/may/police-corruption-an-
analytical-look-into-police-ethics)

Women and Other Minorities in Policing: The United States police

departments must hire people without regard to race or gender. “According
to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, racial and ethnic minorities in state and local
agencies made up 23.6 percent of full-time sworn personnel in 2003, up from
14.6 percent in 1987. Women accounted for 11.3 percent of officers in 2003 up
from 7.6 percent in 1987. While the numbers are increasing, the profession
continues to seek greater representation of women and minorities in its ranks,
and many agencies are actively and aggressively recruiting from these
demographics. For many agencies, particularly those serving large
immigrant communities, the need for racial and ethnic minorities extends
far beyond traditional groups.”
(http://discoverpolicing.org/why_policing/?fa=diversity#sthash.7vaf8zDA.dpuf)

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

Practice Exam

1. Which of the following is not one of the different jurisdictions of the criminal
justice system?
a. Tribal government
b. County
c. State
d. Monumental

2. _____ are lawyers who represent the state or federal government (not the
victim).
a. Prosecutors
b. Defense attorneys
c. Courts
d. Law enforcers

3. _____ defend the accused against the government’s case.

a. Prosecutors
b. Defense attorneys
c. Courts
d. Law enforcers

4. Who are the courts run by?

a. Prosecution
b. Defense attorneys
c. Judges
d. Bailiffs

5. _____ supervise convicted offenders when they are in jail, in prison, or in

the community on probation or parole.
a. Prosecutors
b. Defense attorneys
c. Judges
d. Correction officers

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

6. The _____ focus on protecting the nation in the following: terrorism, civil
rights crime, white collar crimes, and violent crimes like bank robberies and
kidnapping.
a. FBI
b. ATF
c. DEA
d. None of the above

7. _____ is a part of the U.S. Treasury Department and investigates the

criminal use of explosives and firearms.
a. The FBI
b. The ATF
c. The DEA
d. None of the above

8. _____ is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice and is in charge of all

federal drug control laws.
a. The FBI
b. The ATF
c. The DEA
d. None of the above

9. _____ are in charge of capturing escaped federal prisoners, and

supervising those arrested.
a. The United States Marshals
b. The Secret Service
c. The INS
d. None of the above

10. _____ are in charge of the witness protection program.

a. The United States Marshals
b. The Secret Service
c. The INS
d. None of the above

13

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

11. _____ is mostly known as the protectors of the president and other
officials of the federal government.
a. The United States Marshals
b. The Secret Service
c. The INS
d. None of the above

12. The _____ are in charge of policing the flow of immigrants into the
United States.
a. United States Marshals
b. The Secret Service
c. The INS
d. None of the above

13. There is no state police in the state of _____.

a. California
b. Nevada
c. New York
d. Hawaii

14. How does the county sheriff obtain its position?

a. Inherited
b. Elected
c. Promoted
d. Appointed

15. The largest sheriff’s office is in _____ with over 11,000 full-time
employees.
a. Los Angeles
b. New York
c. Miami
d. Seattle

16. What type of law enforcement can also serve as court bailiffs?
a. Municipal police
b. County sheriffs
c. Prosecutors
d. Judges

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

17. _____ represent the largest number of agencies, employ most of the
sworn officers, and shoulder the heaviest responsibility for dealing with
violent crime.
a. The city police
b. The FBI
c. The secret service
d. None of the above

18. Which city is not included in the “Big Six” departments?

a. New York
b. Los Angeles
c. Houston
d. Miami

19. A _____ is defined by state law as, “any agency of the state for local
performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited
boundaries.”
a. Sheriff’s office
b. Municipal court
c. Federal Bureau of Investigation
d. Special district

20. Which of the following is not a type of local law enforcement

agency?
a. Harbor police
b. Airport police
c. Mall police
d. Hospital police

21. _____, by definition, involves belonging to a profession and

behaving in a way that is consistent with professional standards.
a. Image
b. Professionalism
c. Subculture
d. None of the above

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

22. _____ is a group of individuals who generally share attitudes,

perceptions, assumptions, values, beliefs, ways of living, and traditions.
a. Image
b. Professionalism
c. Subculture
d. None of the above

23. According to the subculture of police, police officers would find an

even bigger attachment to one another and not their_____.
a. Mentors
b. Families
c. Friends
d. None of the above

24. The United States police departments must hire people without
regard to _____.
a. Education
b. Race
c. Gender
d. Race or gender

25. Why does the need for racial and ethnic minorities for some
agencies extend beyond traditional groups?
a. They serve large immigrant communities
b. They have to meet a quota
c. They are more educated
d. They want to be more diverse

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

Answer Key
1. d) Monumental
2. a) Prosecution
3. b) Defense attorneys
4. c) Judges
5. d) Correction officers
6. a) FBI
7. b) ATF
8. a) FBI
9. a) United States Marshals
10. a) United States Marshals
11. b) The Secret Service
12. c) The INS
13. d) Hawaii
14. b) elected
15. a) Los Angeles
16. b) County Sheriffs
17. a) City Police
18. d) Miami
19. d) Special district
20. c) Mall police
21. b) Professionalism
22. c) Subculture
23. b) Family
24. d) Race or Gender
25. a) They serve large immigrant communities

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement

References
Carter, Lycia, Ph. D. The Police Chief, vol. 73, no. 8, August 2006. Retrieved on
January 27, 2015 from
http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arc
h&article_id=971&issue_id=82006

Honolulu Police Department. n.d. Retrieved on January 26, 2015 from

http://www.honolulupd.org/department/index.php?page=history

Law Enforcement Agencies. 2014. Retrieved on January 26, 2015 from

http://www.golawenforcement.com/LawEnforcementAgencies.htm

Martin, Rich.2011. An Analytical Look into Police Ethics. Retrieved on January

27, 2015 from http://leb.fbi.gov/2011/may/police-corruption-an-analytical-look-
into-police-ethics

Matrix Group International. 2015. Diversity. Retrieved on January 27, 2015 from
http://discoverpolicing.org/why_policing/?fa=diversity

National Center for Victims of Crime. 2008. Retrieved on December 20, 2014
from http://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-
crime-victims/the-criminal-justice-system.

Perceptions of Treatment by Police. 2014. Retrieved on January 27, 2015 from

http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/legitimacy/pages/perceptions.aspx.

Police Systems. (2014) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retired on January 26, 2015
from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/criminal-justice/police-
function/police-systems

What is a special district? N.d. Retrieved on January 27, 2015 from

http://www.smcmad.org/what_is_special_district.htm

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