NCJ Number
12628
Date Published
1973
Length
49 pages
Annotation
DISCUSSION OF THE FOCUS OF PROGRAMS AND REASONS FOR PROBLEMS SUCH AS ILL-DEFINED GOALS, POLICE ATTITUDES, AND SMALL NUMBERS OF BLACKS ON MOST POLICE FORCES.
Abstract
FOLLOWING A HISTORY OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES REASONS FOR FAILURE OF MOST PROGRAMS. HE STATES THAT MOST OF THE PROGRAMS ARE ILL-DEFINED AND FAIL TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE TO WHOM THEY ARE DIRECTED (MOSTLY BLACKS). A SURVEY OF POLICE ATTITUDES REVEALS A POLARIZATION BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE POLICEMEN TO WHICH THE AUTHOR RESPONDS BY SAYING THAT NO LASTING RESULTS IN THE COMMUNITY CAN BE EXPECTED UNTIL MAJOR CHANGES TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE POLICE ESTABLISHMENT. DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION OF BLACKS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO CITED AS A REASON FOR FAILURE OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS. SEVERAL GUIDELINES ARE PRESENTED BY WHICH POLICE ADMINISTRATORS AND CITIZENS CAN EVALUATE A POLICE DEPARTMENT RELATIVE TO ITS ORIENTATION TOWARD EFFECTIVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS.