Varieties of Police Behavior

Varieties of Police Behavior PDF Author: James Q. WILSON
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674045203
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
The patrolman has the most difficult, complex, and least understood task in the police department. Much less is known of him than of his better publicized colleague, the detective. In this important and timely book, James Q. Wilson describes the patrolman and the problems he faces that arise out of constraints imposed by law, politics, public opinion, and the expectations of superiors. The study considers how the uniformed officer in eight communities deals with such common offenses as assault, theft, drunkenness, vice, traffic, and disorderly conduct. Six of the communities are in New York State: Albany, Amsterdam, Brighton, Nassau County, Newburgh, and Syracuse. The others are Highland Park, Illinois, and Oakland, California. Enforcing laws dealing with common offenses is especially difficult because it raises the question of administrative discretion. Murder, in the eyes of the police, is unambiguously wrong, and murderers are accordingly arrested; but in cases such as street-corner scuffles or speeding motorists, the patrolman must decide whether to intervene (should the scuffle be stopped? should the motorist be pulled over?) and, if he does, just how to intervene (by arrest? a warning? an interrogation?). In most large organizations, the lowest-ranking members perform the more routinized tasks and the means of accomplishing these tasks are decided by superiors, but in a police department the lowest-ranking officer--the patrolman--is almost solely responsible for enforcing those laws which are the least precise, the most ambiguous. Three ways or "styles" of policing--the watchman, the legalistic, and the service styles--are analyzed and their relation to local politics is explored. In the final chapter, Mr. Wilson discusses if and how the patrolman's behavior can be changed and examines some current proposals for reorganizing police departments. He observes that the ability of the patrolman to do his job well may determine our success in managing social conflict and our prospects for maintaining a proper balance between liberty and order. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. THE PATROLMAN The Maintenance of Order Justice as a Constraint Some Organizational Consequences 3. THE POLICE ADMINISTRATOR Managing Discretion Critical Events 4. POLICE DISCRETION The Determinants of Discretion The Eight Communities The Uses of Discretion 5. THE WATCHMAN STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 6. THE LEGALISTIC STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 7. THE SERVICE STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 8. POLITICS AND THE POLICE Politics and the Watchman Style Politics and the Service Style Politics and the Legalistic Style Some Findings from National Data 9. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS Reviews of this book: [This book] is a departure from the traditional treatise...and actually does take a large and long-awaited step toward revitalizing an exciting and important but inexcusably weak area of political science. --The American Political Science Review Reviews of this book: This book "must unquestionably become an indispensable study of politics in the American city. It is based on enormous and detailed research ... The material is presented in a controlled and disciplined no-nonsense style. --New York Review of Books Reviews of this book: This is surely one of the most informative books about the police ever written .... Varieties of Police Behavior is a rich, sophisticated book by an author unusually able to tackle the comprehensiveness and interdependence of the issues which affect police performance, and his analysis and conclusions have much to teach. --Times Literary Supplement It is, without doubt, the finest book on the American police ever written, and Professor Wilson is one of our best-known scholars of urban affairs...Rich...full to the brim with increasing details and shrewd insight. Anyone who wants to have an informed opinion about the policeman's relations to law and order ought to read it. --Irving Kristol

Varieties of Police Behavior

Varieties of Police Behavior PDF Author: James Q. WILSON
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674045203
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description
The patrolman has the most difficult, complex, and least understood task in the police department. Much less is known of him than of his better publicized colleague, the detective. In this important and timely book, James Q. Wilson describes the patrolman and the problems he faces that arise out of constraints imposed by law, politics, public opinion, and the expectations of superiors. The study considers how the uniformed officer in eight communities deals with such common offenses as assault, theft, drunkenness, vice, traffic, and disorderly conduct. Six of the communities are in New York State: Albany, Amsterdam, Brighton, Nassau County, Newburgh, and Syracuse. The others are Highland Park, Illinois, and Oakland, California. Enforcing laws dealing with common offenses is especially difficult because it raises the question of administrative discretion. Murder, in the eyes of the police, is unambiguously wrong, and murderers are accordingly arrested; but in cases such as street-corner scuffles or speeding motorists, the patrolman must decide whether to intervene (should the scuffle be stopped? should the motorist be pulled over?) and, if he does, just how to intervene (by arrest? a warning? an interrogation?). In most large organizations, the lowest-ranking members perform the more routinized tasks and the means of accomplishing these tasks are decided by superiors, but in a police department the lowest-ranking officer--the patrolman--is almost solely responsible for enforcing those laws which are the least precise, the most ambiguous. Three ways or "styles" of policing--the watchman, the legalistic, and the service styles--are analyzed and their relation to local politics is explored. In the final chapter, Mr. Wilson discusses if and how the patrolman's behavior can be changed and examines some current proposals for reorganizing police departments. He observes that the ability of the patrolman to do his job well may determine our success in managing social conflict and our prospects for maintaining a proper balance between liberty and order. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. THE PATROLMAN The Maintenance of Order Justice as a Constraint Some Organizational Consequences 3. THE POLICE ADMINISTRATOR Managing Discretion Critical Events 4. POLICE DISCRETION The Determinants of Discretion The Eight Communities The Uses of Discretion 5. THE WATCHMAN STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 6. THE LEGALISTIC STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 7. THE SERVICE STYLE The Organizational Context Some Consequences 8. POLITICS AND THE POLICE Politics and the Watchman Style Politics and the Service Style Politics and the Legalistic Style Some Findings from National Data 9. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS Reviews of this book: [This book] is a departure from the traditional treatise...and actually does take a large and long-awaited step toward revitalizing an exciting and important but inexcusably weak area of political science. --The American Political Science Review Reviews of this book: This book "must unquestionably become an indispensable study of politics in the American city. It is based on enormous and detailed research ... The material is presented in a controlled and disciplined no-nonsense style. --New York Review of Books Reviews of this book: This is surely one of the most informative books about the police ever written .... Varieties of Police Behavior is a rich, sophisticated book by an author unusually able to tackle the comprehensiveness and interdependence of the issues which affect police performance, and his analysis and conclusions have much to teach. --Times Literary Supplement It is, without doubt, the finest book on the American police ever written, and Professor Wilson is one of our best-known scholars of urban affairs...Rich...full to the brim with increasing details and shrewd insight. Anyone who wants to have an informed opinion about the policeman's relations to law and order ought to read it. --Irving Kristol

Let's Meet a Police Officer

Let's Meet a Police Officer PDF Author: Gina Bellisario
Publisher: Lerner Digital ™
ISBN: 1512477710
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and text highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! Let's Meet a Police Officer! Do you want to learn more about police cars? Police dogs? Other tools the police use? Then it's your lucky day! Officer Gabby is a police officer. She knows how to keep people safe. She shows a group of kids how she does her job. Three cheers for police officers! "Cartoon-style animated drawings in bright colors introduce diverse characters who will capture children's interest." —School Library Journal "In each book introducing a community-benefiting career, schoolchildren meet one adult to learn about his or her job; information includes the training required to become a firefighter, doctor, etc., daily routines, and primary responsibilities. The content is inclusive and up-to-date but delivered though vapid stories. Peppy computer-generated cartoons are amateur." - The Horn Book Guide Free downloadable series teaching guide available.

Police in America

Police in America PDF Author: Steven G. Brandl
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1483379124
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 433

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Book Description
Police in America provides students with a comprehensive and realistic introduction to modern policing in our society. Utilizing real-word examples grounded in evidence-based research, this easy-to-read, conversational text helps students think critically about the many misconceptions of police work and understand best practices in everyday policing. Respected scholar and author Steven G. Brandl draws from his experience in law enforcement to emphasize the positive aspects of policing without sugar-coating the controversies of police work. Brandl tackles important topics that center on one question: “What is good policing?” This includes discussions of discretion, police use of force, and tough ethical and moral dilemmas—giving students a deeper look into the complex issues of policing to help them think more broadly about its impact on society. Students will walk away from this text with a well-developed understanding of the complex role of police in our society, an appreciation of the challenges of policing, and an ability to differentiate fact from fiction relating to law enforcement.

Police Kung Fu

Police Kung Fu PDF Author: Man Kam Lo
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462903258
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
Master the effective, practical style of Kung Fu practiced by the Taiwanese police with this illustrated martial arts guide. Police Kung Fu: The Personal Combat Handbook of the Taiwan National Police is a comprehensive approach for the realistic use of traditional kung fu by law enforcement and corrections officers--and ordinary citizens--to maximize personal safety while minimizing the necessary use of force. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of Taiwanese police officers systematically demonstrating tactics that have been used with great effect for several decades in Taiwan, Police Kung Fu teaches responses to unarmed attackers and to attacks with guns, knives, and assorted clubs and other weapons, as well as police baton techniques for individual and crowd control. With a thorough grounding in traditional Wing Chun kung fu, renowned for its direct power and speed, the police training demonstrated in this volume is readily adaptable to a wide variety of controlled-force situations. Police Kung Fu is a great resource for every law enforcement professional and those interested in the martial arts and self defense.

Police: A Field Guide

Police: A Field Guide PDF Author: David Correia
Publisher: Verso Books
ISBN: 1786630133
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
A radical guide to the language of policing This field guide arms activists—and indeed anyone concerned about police abuse—with critical insights that ultimately redefine the very idea of policing. When we talk about police and police reform, we speak the language of police legitimation through euphemism. So state sexual assault becomes “body-cavity search,” and ruthless beatings “non-compliance deterrence.” In entries such as “police dog,” “stop and frisk,” and “rough ride,” the authors expose the way “copspeak” suppresses the true meaning and history of law enforcement. In field guide fashion, they reveal a world hidden in plain view. The book argues that a redefined language of policing might help us chart a future that’s free. Including explanations of newsmaking terms such as “deadname,” “kettling,” and “qualified immunity,” and a foreword by leading justice advocate Craig Gilmore.

One Police Plaza

One Police Plaza PDF Author: William J. Caunitz
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504028341
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
In this New York Times bestseller, an NYPD detective discovers an international conspiracy:“The action builds with such intensity you’ll race to finish” (New York Daily News). The precinct house at 19 Elizabeth Street is one of the oldest in New York, and some things about it never change. Overworked cops interrogate suspects, complain about their wives, and peck out reports on battered old typewriters. Steel mesh covers the windows and the garbage cans overflow. And as Lt. Dan Malone climbs the steps, nursing a hangover, he’s certain that no matter what the city throws at them, the men in his squad will be able to handle it. When a naked corpse is found in a bathtub, Malone expects another routine homicide, but this body has stories to tell. Investigating the tragic life and death of Sara Eisinger leads Malone into the thick of an international conspiracy involving the CIA, the Mossad, and a plot to wreak havoc across New York. Only a seasoned cop can solve this mystery, and there’s no cop in New York as tough as Lieutenant Malone.

Danger, Duty, and Disillusion

Danger, Duty, and Disillusion PDF Author: Joan C. Barker
Publisher: Waveland Press
ISBN: 1478607939
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
An insider view of an urban subculture! While much of the literature on police analyzes critically what they do, few works address issues of how police officers feel about their chosen profession, their worldview, or their visions. This refreshingly original and unique ethnographic contribution by anthropologist Joan Barker exposes the human elementone rarely seen by non-policeof officers working for the often-controversial L.A.P.D. During her twenty years of fieldwork, Barker gathered valuable information through formal, in-depth interviews and firsthand experiences, distilling her findings into an illuminating, coherent account. She discovers that five phases of occupational socialization normatively mold officers experiences and perceptions. Fleshing out her discussion is the compelling narrative of Fred, a traditional officer whose authentic voice reveals feelings and attitudes that manifest the essence of the human who does the job of policing. An insider view of an urban subculture usually known only from its public presentation.

Police Corruption

Police Corruption PDF Author: Maurice Punch
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134028148
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
Policing and corruption are inseparable. This book argues that corruption is not one thing but covers many deviant and criminal practices in policing which also shift over time. It rejects the 'bad apple' metaphor and focuses on 'bad orchards', meaning not individual but institutional failure. For in policing the organisation, work and culture foster can encourage corruption. This raises issues as to why do police break the law and, crucially, 'who controls the controllers'? Corruption is defined in a broad, multi-facetted way. It concerns abuse of authority and trust; and it takes serious form in conspiracies to break the law and to evade exposure when cops can become criminals. Attention is paid to typologies of corruption (with grass-eaters, meat-eaters, noble-cause); the forms corruption takes in diverse environments; the pathways officers take into corruption and their rationalisations; and to collusion in corruption from within and without the organization. Comparative analyses are made of corruption, scandal and reform principally in the USA, UK and the Netherlands. The work examines issues of control, accountability and the new institutions of oversight. It provides a fresh, accessible overview of this under-researched topic for students, academics, police and criminal justice officials and members of oversight agencies.

An Introduction to American Policing

An Introduction to American Policing PDF Author: Stevens
Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning
ISBN: 1284110117
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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Book Description
"An Introduction to American Policing, Second Edition" connects the US criminal justice system, criminology, and law enforcement knowledge to the progress of the police community. It is the perfect resource for a Police Science course.

Policing in the 21St Century

Policing in the 21St Century PDF Author: Dr. Lee P. Brown
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1468540971
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 618

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Book Description
Dr. Lee P. Brown, one of Americas most significant and respected law enforcement practitioners, has harnessed his thirty years of experiences in police work and authored Policing in the 21st Century: Community Policing. Written for students, members of the police community, academicians, elected officials and members of the public, this work comes from the perspective of an individual who devoted his life to law enforcement. Dr. Brown began his career as a beat patrolmen who through hard work, diligence and continued education became the senior law enforcement official in three of this nations largest cities. The book is about Community Policing, the policing style for America in the Twenty-First Century. It not only describes the concept in great detail, but it also illuminates how it evolved, and how it is being implemented in various communities throughout America. There is no other law enforcement official or academician who is as capable as Dr. Brown of masterfully presenting the concept of Community Policing, which he pioneered. As a philosophy, Community Policing encourages law enforcement officials, and the people they are sworn to serve, to cooperatively address issues such as crime, community growth, and societal development. It calls for mutual respect and understanding between the police and the community. The book is written from the perspective of someone whose peers identify as the father of Community Policing, and who personally implemented it in Police Departments under his command. It is a thoroughly amazing book that has been heralded as a must read for anyone who has an interest in law enforcement. Elected officials, academicians, leaders of the nations police agencies and members of the public will be captivated by Dr. Browns literary contribution.