Читать книгу Police in America - Steven G. Brandl - Страница 133

It is also important to understand that as enforcers of the law, it is police officers who give the law meaning. The law means little without the possibility that the police will enforce it. Consider the example of speeding enforcement. What does a speed limit of 35 mph really mean? Does it mean if you are going 36 mph you are going to get a ticket? It is not likely, because the police are usually concerned with more serious violations of speed laws. How about if you are traveling 50 mph? In this situation, it might depend on whether there is a police officer looking for speeders on that road. Without a police officer or other means to enforce the law, such as a speed camera, there are no worries about getting a ticket. This is what is meant by the police giving the law meaning.