The purpose of The Law Officer’s Pocket Manual
is to provide law enforcement personnel with basic
operational knowledge of the impact of constitutional
law on police practices. The Manual is not a guide to
police technique. Officers should always defer to their
departments’ operational manuals.
The statements and rules in the Manual flow
from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions through
the Court’s 2020–2021 Term, which was completed
in June 2021. The Court’s rulings dictate what the
Constitution permits, requires, or forbids. They
do not necessarily represent the only course of
action permissible. Therefore, they may differ in detail
from practices instituted by local law enforcement
officials.