NCJ Number
166884
Editor(s)
W A Geller,
H Toch
Date Published
1996
Length
385 pages
Annotation
These 15 papers present research findings and practical perspectives regarding what is known and what still needs to be learned to understand, prevent, and address police brutality.
Abstract
Individual chapters explore definitions of police use of excessive force and the implications of those definitions for methods of controlling it and examine theory and empirical research regarding the causes of police brutality. Additional papers examine the prevalence of police abuse of force, the characteristics of the police officers who are prone to violence, public attitudes toward police brutality, racial issues related to police abuse of authority, and police officer selection in relation to the prevention of police brutality. Further chapters focus on training to reduce police violence against civilians, police attitudes toward police use of force, the relationship between police unions and police culture to police use of force, administrative review of alleged police brutality, the handling of citizen complaints against the police, the role of lawsuits in addressing police brutality, and police brutality in foreign countries. The final chapter summarizes the research and highlights central issues involved in understanding and controlling police brutality. Chart, chapter reference notes, index, and approximately 800 references