[twoakers]

For the record, there is legislation that forces police to make an arrest. The domestic violence laws in most states now require an officer to make an arrest, if a primary aggressor is identified. This takes away the discretion an officer has to handle each situation based upon the facts and circumstances available, and forces him/her to act based upon the legislation. This results in numerous bad arrests, and an escalation in penalties for people who, in certain situations, could have been dealt with in a much less intrusive, more convenient manner. I have no idea if this is also the case when dealing with gambling "violations," but I would not be surprised if it were the case in some jurisdictions.