NCJ Number
78960
Date Published
1981
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This guide tests citizens' knowledge about their local police by providing a series of checklists and basic questions about police operations. The checklists can also be used as a starting point for building an awareness of police.
Abstract
The lists are grouped under six broad headings: police as protectors of public safety, police as instruments of justice, police as intelligence agents, police and the public purse, police as public servants, and police as professionals. Issues raised under each heading include such matters as the use of deadly force; disciplinary procedures; methods of handling citizens' complaints; internal and external governance of police; and discretionary powers to arrest, detain, bring charges, and investigate and collect information on individuals with or without a criminal basis. The questions are followed by lists of sources for acquiring the answers. (Author abstract modified)