NCJ Number
213993
Date Published
2006
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This chapter explores policing, with an emphasis on the policing of juveniles.
Abstract
The role of the police in American society is quickly shifting from one mainly geared toward responding to crimes after they happen to one in which the police engage the community in preventing criminal activity in the first place. The community or problem-solving policing model is described, which involves efforts to deal with the conditions or factors that can cause crime and disorder. Examples of successful community policing initiatives from across the country are offered and the main critiques of the community policing model are discussed. “Broken windows” policing is introduced as a policing model in which officers broaden their concerns and actions regarding crime and community safety. CompStat policing, a strategic management process in which police managers are held accountable for the control of crime and the enhancement of public safety, is described and critiqued before the authors move on to a discussion of citizen attitudes toward police. Attitudinal research indicates that citizen views of police vary greatly but that police often hold negative or cynical views of citizens, perhaps because officers are more likely to come into contact with individuals who hold less positive views of police, such as minority or younger members of society. Three major issues in policing that affect juveniles have recently come to the forefront of criminal justice debate: racial profiling, juvenile curfew laws, and assistance with intensive supervision of probationers. Each issue is described in terms of its impact on juvenile offenders. Finally, the chapter briefly examines police effectiveness, police brutality, and police use of deadly force against juveniles. Six discussion questions are offered that focus on policing models, attitudes toward police, and police use of force with juveniles. Key terms are listed. Boxes