NCJ Number
39038
Date Published
1973
Length
25 pages
Annotation
CONSCRIPTION OF YOUNG MEN INTO DUTY AS POLICE OFFICERS IS PROPOSED AS AN AID TO ENDING POLICE-COMMUNITY ALIENATION.
Abstract
THE USUAL PROPOSALS FOR SMOOTHING TENSIONS BETWEEN POLICE AND SOME COMMUNITIES DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH, THE AUTHOR CONTENDS. INCREASED RECRUITMENT OF COLLEGE GRADUATES, BLACKS AND SPANISH-SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS IS INSUFFICIENT. ALSO INADEQUATE ARE SIMPLE ATTEMPTS TO SCREEN OUT THE IMMATURE, OR TO IMPROVE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS. INSTEAD, THE AUTHOR BELIEVES, PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE CAN BEST BE GENERATED BY ESTABLISHING A DRAFT OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THE LOCAL POLICE FORCE. THIS IS DESCRIBED AS HELPING THE ALIENATED COMMUNITY BEGIN TO SEE THE POLICE AS PART OF IT AND NOT AS AN OUTSIDE BODY OF SOMETIMES INSENSITIVE PERSONS. THE AUTHOR DETAILS THE SCOPE OF SUCH A DRAFT, AND PROBES SEVERAL ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS WITH IT, SUCH A LACK OF DEVOTION TO DEVOTION TO DUTY AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE GIVEN THE SHORT TERM--30 MONTHS--OF REQUIRED SERVICE....BS