NCJ Number
98325
Editor(s)
W A Geller
Date Published
1985
Length
539 pages
Annotation
A series of papers identifies the predominant social, political, economic, and professional influences on the direction of American policing and helps police chiefs to develop expertise in dealing with these influences.
Abstract
Papers address both the constraints imposed on police chiefs by mayors and city managers and the police chief's role in civic policymaking, crises and opportunities presented by community pressures on police chiefs (such as incentives and disincentives for greater police chief-community interaction), and the police chiefs' relations with the media. Additional papers examine the question of who should discipline the police, the dynamics of the police use of force, structures for reviewing police conduct, and principles for developing complaint procedures. Papers dealing with the interaction of police and prosecutors review institutional dissonance, personal value differences, and police civil liability. Subsequent papers address the history and effectiveness of police unions, the interaction of the police chief with unions, police crime control methods, the use of research in police policymaking, and police professionalism (police-private police cooperation and the leadership role of the chief in managing major policing changes). Chapter notes are provided along with a 580-item reference list and name and subject indexes. For individual papers, see NCJ 99238-66.