NCJ Number
142940
Date Published
1993
Length
400 pages
Annotation
Intended as a comprehensive introductory textbook for undergraduate students in either 2-year or 4-year programs, this volume provides an overview of the role of police in modern society and an analysis of contemporary issues in police administration and critical issues confronting American policing today.
Abstract
Based on insights from sociology and other disciplines, the text uses a largely descriptive approach. The origin and history of the police are traced from a cross-cultural perspective, and the evolution of policing from its earliest forms to its current uses in social control and social service is described. The next section details the main role of the police in modern society, the importance of police- community relations, the nature of community policing, and the main features of daily police work. Another section explains the legal parameters of policing, including limits on police discretion, citizen rights and due process of law, and police misconduct. An analysis of police administration focuses on police recruitment, screening, and training; police organization and operations; and police management. Contemporary and probable future issues in policing are also explored, including female patrol officers, police use of deadly force, the control of police misconduct, the consolidation of police organizations, AIDS and the police, and police professionalization. Photographs, tables, charts, checklists, chapter discussion questions and lists of main terms, chapter reference notes, and index