Abstract
Police discretion is exercised in a variety of crisis contexts. This study examines what factors appear to trigger a police officer's decision to commit an individual to a medical facility for observation. In addition, a comparison is made between this study and an earlier paper by Egon Bittner. Data are drawn from a pencil and paper survey conducted in 17 small town Central Florida police departments for a totalpopulation of 189 patrol officers. The officers reported relatively few incidents that qualified for possible admission. Officers generally reported little effective formal training in this area. Rather the officers learn "on the job" a fact that created some frustrations. Officers and medicalpersonnel clashed over the relative weight to be given the officer's evaluation of the individual being committed.
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