POLICE IN SOCIETY

• NCJ Number: 65768
• Author(s): R WHITAKER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 351 pages
• Corporate Author: Methuen and Co
• Sale Source: Methuen and Co
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THE POLICE'S EXPOSED POSITION IN THE CROSSFIRE BETWEEN THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY AND THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS ENGLISH BOOK EXAMINING THE ROLE OF POLICE, LEGAL LIMITATIONS, AND THEIR FUTURE.

Abstract

POLICING IN A DEMOCRACY INEVITABLY PRESENTS PROBLEMS--WHO IS BEING POLICED; ARE RIGHTS BEING INFRINGED UPON; ARE THE POLICE ACTING AS THE ENFORCERS OF THE STATUS QUO. PERSONS IN THE DEMOCRACY ASK POLICE TO BE ENFORCERS OF THE LAW, BUT NOT EFFICIENT ENFORCERS. FURTHERMORE, POLICE VARY IN THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY ARE, AND THE PUBLIC VARIES IN ITS EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT THE POLICE SHOULD BE. LIKE THE PUBLIC, THE POLICEMAN SHARES BEWILDERMENT AS THE YARDSTICKS OF ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT HAVE SHIFTED AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL FRAMEWORKS OF RIGHT AND WRONG. IN ADDITION, BEST EFFORTS OF POLICE CAN BE STYMIED BY THE COURT SYSTEM OR BY A VENIAL AND SUBSERVIENT JUDICIARY. THE MAJORITY OF POLICEMEN, COMING FROM WORKINGCLASS BACKGROUNDS, HAS DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT CRIME FROM OVERWHELMINGLY MIDDLE-CLASS JUDGES AND LAWYERS. IN ADDITION, SOCIETY HAS COME TO RELY ON A VAST INCREASE IN LEGISLATION AND A PERSISTENTLY GROWING NUMBER OF 'PUBLIC WELFARE OFFENSES' TO ENFORCE PUBLIC STANDARDS FOR THE RUNNING OF HIGHLY POPULATED AND INDUSTRALIZED NATIONS. TO FURTHER COMPLICATE MATTERS, CRIME IS INCREASING WHILE SUPPORT FOR POLICE WORK IS LACKING. THIS BOOK ANALYZES THE HISTORICAL AND MODERN ROLE OF THE BRITISH POLICE, POLICE EFFECTIVENESS, POLICE LEGAL POWERS, LOCAL VERSUS CENTRAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLICE CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE QUESTION OF POLICING THE POLICE. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS IMPROVING POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, INCREASED PERSONAL CONTACT BY POLICE USING DEVICES SUCH AS NAME BADGES, A MORE BALANCED MEDIA PRESENTATION OF POLICE WORK, GREATER SELF-POLICING BY THE PUBLIC, STRONGER PUBLIC SUPPORT, AND IMPROVED PAY AND TRAINING. APPENDIXES INCLUDE THE JUDGE'S RULES AND THE NEW COMPLAINT SYSTEM, AND A GLOSSARY OF POLICE AND CRIMINAL SLANG AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE ATTACHED. (AOP)