NCJ Number
41195
Date Published
1977
Length
665 pages
Annotation
THIS TEXT EXPLORES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS WHICH CHARACTERIZE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND ANALYZES THE VARIOUS TYPES OF POLICE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS.
Abstract
FIRST, THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS ARE REVIEWED, FOLLOWED BY AN ANALYSIS OF THREE INTERRELATED FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ORDER TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTING POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROBLEMS - THE POLICE ROLE, POLICE PROFESSIONALISM, AND THE DISCRETIONARY USE OF POLICE POWER. AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PROBLEMS OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROBES THE PIVOTAL ISSUES OF POLICE SELF-IMAGE, PUBLIC IMAGES OF THE POLICE, AND HOW THESE ARE AFFECTED BY ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, VALUES, PREJUDICE, AND RUMOR. A LOOK AT SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CONTEMPORARY POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROBLEMS FOCUSES ON SOCIAL PROCESSES AND SOCIAL CONTROL, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO BLACKS, YOUTH, AND THE POOR. THE ISSUE OF CITIZEN CONTROL OF THE POLICE IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED. AN ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY COVERS POLICE-PROSECUTORIAL-COURT RELATIONS, CORRECTIONS-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, POLICE-MEDIA RELATIONS, THE POLITICS OF POLICING, AND COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY FOR CRIME PREVENTION. A DISCUSSION OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS AIMED AT IMPROVING POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS CONSIDERS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THE POLICE, INSTITUTES AND METROPOLITAN ORGANIZATIONS, POLICE-SCHOOL LIAISON PROJECTS, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION PROJECTS, AND MISCELLANEOUS OTHER PROGRAMS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A 31-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND A SUBJECT INDEX. FOR THE FIRST EDITION OF THIS BOOK, SEE NCJ-10841. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...ELW