NCJ Number
163823
Date Published
1996
Length
211 pages
Annotation
This book traces the experience of black people's experience in American police departments from the post-Civil War period to the present.
Abstract
The first chapter provides a historical analysis of the African-American experience through the 19th century and the close relationship of black history to the development of the first formal American police organizations. This is followed by a chapter that analyzes the origins of African-American participation in law enforcement and examines how "free men of color" became law enforcement officers in antebellum New Orleans. This chapter also explains how African-Americans acquired and lost police jobs in the Reconstruction South. Chapter 3 examines the emergence of African-American police officers in the North; it shows how the political patronage system aided the "integration" of American police forces but still relegated African-American officers to token positions. A second theme of this chapter is the impact of police reform on the status of African-American officers and the emerging color line in American policing. Returning to a discussion of black police officers in the South, Chapter 4 analyzes the extensive and intense campaigns by African-Americans to gain a foothold in law enforcement. Case studies on Louisville, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Dallas examine the arguments and pressure used by African-Americans to regain police jobs in the South. The status of African-American police officers in the South prior to the civil rights movement is the focus of chapter 5. Chapter 6 traces the development of African-American police organizations from the 1930's to the 1970's and the rise of police unions to advocate equal rights for black officers. Chapter 7 analyzes the rise of African-Americans to administrative and even leadership positions in American policing in the 1970's and the 1980's and investigates how the election of African-American mayors provided the opportunity for black control of the police. The concluding chapter analyzes the three generations of African-Americans who have served as police officers and assesses their contribution to American policing and to the black community. Chapter notes, 756-item selected bibliography, and a subject index