NCJ Number
137341
Date Published
1992
Length
88 pages
Annotation
This study examines the status of law enforcement management of legal social activism demonstrations by the year 2001.
Abstract
Chapters discuss the strategic issue research and development, future forecasting, strategic management, and transition management. The strategic issue was developed following an extensive literature search and interview of subject matter experts. That process provided a perspective on law enforcement's management of social activism demonstrations. From this research, two main subissues were identified: what kind of training will be required to police social activism demonstrations and how law enforcement will manage employee attitudes toward such demonstrations. A futures study was then conducted using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for forecasting. The NGT panel identified several candidate trends and events which might impact the strategic issue and subissues. Five trends were evaluated: number of community special interest action groups, changing social values, availability of economic resources, level of community political activism, and level of community concern with environmental issues. Five events were postulated: future U.S. involvement in Middle East war, gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon, environmental activists halting local offshore drilling, closure of stock exchange, and Social Security benefits reduction for the elderly. Strategic and transition management plans were developed for the Ventura, California Police Department, and three recommended policies were formulated: assign a liaison staff officer for coordination and planning with social activist groups at a nonenforcement level, develop and provide training and annual update sessions to focus on emerging trends and issues related to social activism, and lobby for city ordinances requiring a permit to conduct social activist demonstrations. 23 references and 4 tables