A pattern of attitudes, techniques, and approaches found useful in the past becomes the arsenal of tactics which make up an operational style. This is indicated by the feedback loop in the diagram. The operational style resolves the role demands which impinge on the officer and allow him or her to function at all. A police officer brings his or her personal operational style to every encounter-how he or she approaches the encounter and how he or she will deal with it. In sum, the exercise of discretion is shaped by all of these factors.
Some factors are sublimated and incorporated into operational styles.
They work indirectly, while situational factors guide the specific interaction of the police, the public, and suspects. It is interesting to estimate how all the factors come together in different countries. In the United States, for example, patterns will differ from department to department because the number of police departments is large. Table 16.1 is my estimate of the ranking of these factors. All factors which directly or indirectly shape how each officer acts are ranked from one to eight.