NCJ Number
206021
Date Published
2004
Length
22 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the themes in the previous chapters of this book that focus on crime-control and policing policies in the United Kingdom and other Western countries, this concluding chapter identifies global trends that will likely influence the intrusiveness and pervasiveness of security measures at the expense of individual liberties.
Abstract
The general themes of the chapters pertain to the characteristics of and the tension between "hard" policing and "soft" policing. "Hard" policing involves an intrusive, proactive, and aggressive style of policing that seeks to control all forms of behavior that violate the myriad of laws designed to bring order and security to society. "Zero tolerance" policing as exemplified in New York City in the mid-1990's under Mayor Giuliani is cited as an example of such "hard" policing. "Soft" policing, on the other hand, aims to restrict intrusions into citizen privacy and freedoms by restraining police, focusing on rehabilitation rather than incapacitation, and promoting diversion from formal criminal justice processing. This concluding chapter notes that although both "hard" policing and "soft" policing are required to achieve a balanced approach to public safety while maintaining a commitment to civil liberties and human rights, there are a number of global trends that are tipping the scale toward multiagency forms of "hard" policing. These trends are a form of terrorism purveyed through clandestine cells that infiltrate the jurisdictions of target countries; an expansive, rampant capitalism driven by greed unchecked by ethical restraints; and environmental changes that threaten both the quality and existence of life on the planet. These pervasive and long-term threats are already precipitating an increase in "hard" measures that have escalated controls and intrusions upon the lives of individual citizens, narrowing the rights and the privacy previously enjoyed. 3 notes