NCJ Number
96182
Date Published
1985
Length
396 pages
Annotation
Twenty chapters in this revised edition survey the history and principal agencies of law enforcement and discuss constitutional restrictions, criminal justice processes, current challenges to the system, and criminal justice as a career.
Abstract
The text first examines the abstract concepts of the individual and the state, justice and the law, law enforcement, and punishment. The development of law enforcement is traced from its ancient and feudal origins through English precedents and it adaptations in the United States. Next, the primary responsibilities and duties of major local, State, and Federal law enforcement units are described. Also covered are private security's role in the system and the relationship of the courts and corrections to law enforcement. An analysis of the U.S. Constitution discusses the protection of personal liberties and constitutional limitations pertaining to the conduct of responsive social control in a democratic society. Following an examination of basic concepts in criminal law (tort versus a crime, felonies and misdemeanors, and categories of crime) the text details pretrial, trial, and posttrial processes. Five final chapters evaluate police agencies in terms of human relations, efficiency, morality, legality, and compassion. Current trends in law enforcement research are explored, as are special challenges for change -- criminal justice planning, corruption and organized crime, and technology. The advantages and disadvantages of a criminal justice career are reviewed. Discussion questions, a bibliography, selections from the Constitution, a synopsis of selected court decisions, a flow chart, and an index are supplied.