There are four main factors, as described by Herbert Jacob, that influence police discretion (Dempsey & Frost, 2014). These factors include the “characteristics of the crime, the relationship between the alleged criminal and the victim, the relationship between the police and the criminal or victim, and department policies” (Dempsey & Frost, 2014, p. 142). These are not the only factors, but they can be considered the most commonly used and relied upon. They provide a summary and starting point on how to evaluate and judge what steps should be taken when deciding how to handle certain problems