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FOR A NEW ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WESTERN EUROPEAN POLICE

NCJ Number
59970
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 97-129
Author(s)
A FUNK; F WERKENTIN
Date Published
1978
Length
33 pages
Annotation
A SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF THE PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTAL TENDENCIES OF THE WEST GERMAN POLICE AND A REVIEW OF RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE PRESENTED TO SHOW CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INCREASED STATE REPRESSION AND CIVIL DISORDERS.
Abstract
MAJOR CHANGES IN PUBLIC SECURITY AGENCIES SINCE 1968 INCLUDE (1) DEVELOPMENT OF A POLICE NETWORK AND ORIENTATION TOWARDS PROFESSIONALISM, AS WELL AS IMPROVED SYSTEMS FOR ARMS, MOBILITY, COMMUNICATION, AND INFORMATION STORAGE; (2) CENTRALIZATION OF A SPECIALIZATION IN STATE POWER INSTITUTIONS; (3) REINFORCEMENT OF INTERVENTION RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STATE'S EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND INCREASED SUPPORT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES; AND (4) EVOLUTION OF THE POLICE IMAGE CHARACTERIZED BY EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL UTILITY AND RETURN TO A REPRESSIVE CONCEPTION OF POLICE WORK. THE MOST IMPORTANT WEST GERMAN POLICE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO PORTRAYAL OF THE POLICE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SANCTION DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN STATE NORMS, POLICE SCIENCE AS A MEANS OF INCREASING POLICE EFFECTIVENESS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC. TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE TRANSFORMED POLICE ROLE IN 'INTERNAL SECURITY', FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED THAT RELATES TO THE POLICE AS PART OF THE PENAL SYSTEM, TO THE POLICE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND THE PUBLIC, TO TENDENCIES OF OTHER WESTERN EUROPEAN POLICE SYSTEMS TO COOPERATE, AND TO THE TENDENCY OF DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS TO DIRECT THEIR INTERNAL POLICY TOWARD CONCERTED EUROPEAN EFFORTS. A BULLETIN WITH FIGURES ON STRUCTURES AND BUDGETS OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS, ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN RELEVANT LEGAL STRUCTURES, STUDIES OF POLICE INTERVENTION, AND INFORMATION ON POLICE PRESS WORK AS WELL AS ON CITIZEN CONTROL OF THE POLICE IS IN THE PLANNING STAGES. NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)