NCJ Number
90615
Date Published
1983
Length
184 pages
Annotation
This book places the reader in 49 common situations encountered by police officers and asks the reader to make a decision regarding how the police officer should act in the situation.
Abstract
The book's goal is to provide readers with the chance to identify with the various roles of a law enforcement situation. The roles range from patrol officer to chief and from small-town police departments to metropolitan police agencies. In each section of the book, background information is given on the police role in the types of cases presented in the rest of the section. Cases on community relations include a call concerning a disturbance at a fellow officer's home, a transfer from an upper class patrol zone to a low income inner city patrol zone, and the abuse of authority by a rookie police officer. Cases in family and crisis intervention include an attempt to serve a court order, a case of spouse abuse, a case of a feud between neighboring families, and an attack by a family member on an intervening police officer. Cases involving juveniles include a theft by a 7-year-old boy, marijuana possession by a female juvenile, a hitchiking case, and parent problems encountered when trying to deal with a boy causing trouble in a neighborhood. Cases involving emotional disturbances include the taking of a mentally incompetent young man into custody, a suicide threat, a shooting rampage at a busy intersection, and a case involving an intoxicated driver. Additional cases focus on police stress, police ethics, and police administration and supervision. Each case includes three questions requesting decisions by the reader. Thirty-one references are listed.