NCJ Number
192885
Date Published
2000
Length
362 pages
Annotation
In focusing on the police of tomorrow rather than the history of policing, this textbook contains chapters on the police role in American society, policing from a systems perspective, patrol, criminal investigations and other support units, organization and management, police and the law, the use of discretion, relating to the community, recruitment, and the personality of a police officer.
Abstract
Chapter 1 focuses on the change in the police role, both historically and currently, to provide a better understanding of today's police officer. This is followed by a chapter that offers a view of policing as a three-tiered system: local, State, and Federal. In addition, the subsystems of each system are explored. The function, services and delivery, dominant features, and effectiveness of patrol are the major topics discussed in Chapter 3. How patrol officers deal with domestic violence, juveniles, homeless people, and the drug issue are included in the discussion. The chapter on criminal investigations and other support units considers the myth and reality of criminal investigations, why police officers want to be detectives, the investigative process, investigative units, and techniques for conducting an investigation. Chapter 5 addresses the general organization and management of police agencies, followed by a chapter that provides insight into the growing legal changes for policing. Chapter 7 defines police discretion and examines its sources, along with the results of improper use and suggestions for controlling it. The perceptions, problems, attitudes, and solutions that pertain to police-community relations are discussed in Chapter 8; and Chapter 9 focuses on issues associated with recruitment, such as the importance of quality personnel, who becomes a police officer, requirements, competition with other agencies, and discrimination. A chapter on the personality of the police officer discusses personality traits, personal relationships, job stress, the police subculture, styles of policing, and management versus rank-and-file personalities. The concluding chapter focuses on the issues of the use of force, AIDS, and technology, as well as the professionalization of policing. Chapter summaries, review questions, and references