ABSTRACT
Much of the training that police officers receive in recruit training as well as in-service classes relates to the law. The authority of the police officer derives from the law, but the law also sets limits on the powers of the police. Most of the case holdings that will be discussed in this chapter have set restraints on the power of the police to stop, detain, search, or question. Some argue
that these court decisions have “handcuffed” the police from doing their job. Actually, there is no research to indicate that many cases have been lost or arrests have not been made because of the due process protections recognized and/or created by the Supreme Court.
