Basics of Law Enforcement

Police departments do not write laws; they are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing laws that are enacted by elected officials in the legislature and that are interpreted by the courts. Enforcing laws is just one of many different roles of the police. Other important roles include working with communities to prevent crimes and solve various “quality of life” problems, maintaining order, and conducting investigations. Police officials are responsible for performing their various roles and responsibilities in a way that protects everyone’s constitutional rights. At its most basic level, constitutional policing can be described as “legal policing".