NCJ Number
73287
Date Published
1979
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This film documents the working day of a police officer in Portland, Maine.
Abstract
Sgt. Keller discusses his views on the public he serves, the diversity of the job, and problems that are encountered. Although idealistic young recruits may join the police force to 'battle the dragons of evil' and 'purge the city of all bad people,' Sgt. Keller found that he was just doing business with ordinary people. One of the hardest problems, he finds is to cope with the boredom that ensues on patrol duty. The police officer must remain alert and be ware that in the midst of routine, danger can strike at any time. He says that most problems cannot b met with black and white solutions. He feels that more attention shuld be paid to the victims of crime and that offenders should pay some form of restitution. He also feels that drug laws should be changed to reflect the reality of life. Finally, he notes that the public has higher expectations of police behavior than of the ordinary person's behavior.