Cops and the Constitution

Abstract

Cops deal with the United States Constitution every day, in countless ways. The behavior of cops on the street really decides how well or badly that document fares in relation to the police. The Constitution has two main purposes: (1) It protects the freedom to act, as in the freedoms of speech, worship, assembly, petition, and so on, and (2) it restricts the power of the state over the individual, as in protection against illegal searches and seizures, habeas corpus, self-incrimination, arrest, and so on. The Constitution is the set of rules by which cops play their game. When the rules are enforced strictly, the players’ freedom to act is restricted. Because the rules get changed through Supreme Court interpretations, the police must be ready to shift tactics, on the street, to conform to the new rules.