Policing America : Methods, Issues, Challenges

by Peak, Ken

• ISBN13: 9780130940995
• ISBN10: 0130940992
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

Author Kenneth Peak feels that this, the fourth edition of Policing America, is by far "bigger and better" than its three predecessors, providing a comprehensive view of the largely misunderstood, often obscure world of policing. New to This Edition: bull; bull;New chapter on community oriented policing and problem solving bull;Discussions of terrorism (and the practices and technology being developed to combat it) bull;Less-than-lethal weapons bull;Hate crimes bull;Stalking bull;Updated court decisions The fourth edition continues to provide in-depth coverage of such topics as patrol, the police subculture, accountability, civil liability, extraordinary problems and practices, the rule of law, investigations, policing in selected foreign venues, and policing in the future. The author brings more than 30 years of both scholarly and policing backgrounds to this effort; as a result, the chapters contain a "real world" flavor not found in most policing textbooks. Disseminated throughout the book are several "Practitioner's Perspectives"-short essays written by selected individuals who have expertise in particular areas of policing. From its introduction, written by Darrel W Stephens, police chief of Charlotte, North Carolina, through the final chapter, the reader is provided with a penetrating view of what is certainly one of the most difficult and challenging occupations in America.

Table of Contents

Introduction.
1. Historical Development.
2. Policing Levels, Roles, and Functions.
3. Police Subculture: The Making of a Cop .
4. Organization and Administration.
5. On Patrol: Personnel, Methods, Functions.
6. Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving.
7. Criminal Investigation: The Science of Detection.
8. Extraordinary Problems and Methods.
9. The Rule of Law.
10. Accountability: Ethics, Force and Corruption, Discipline.
11. Civil Liability: Failing the Public Trust.
12. Issues and Trends.
13. Comparative Perspectives.
14. Technology Review.
15. Challenges of the Future.
Appendix I: Career Information.
Appendix II: Related Web Sites.
Appendix III: The Police Corps.
Name Index.
Subject Index.

Excerpts

Author Ken Peak believes that this, the fourth edition ofPolicing America,is by far "bigger and better" than its three predecessors, providing a comprehensive view of the largely misunderstood, often obscure world of policing. A new chapter has been added concerning community oriented policing and problem solving. New materials have been added to other chapters as well, including discussions of terrorism, less-than-lethal weapons, hate crimes, stalking, and updated court decisions. Meanwhile, this edition continues to provide in-depth coverage of such topics as patrol, the police subculture, accountability, civil liability, extraordinary problems and practices, the rule of law, investigations, policing in selected foreign venues, and policing in the future.The author brings more than 30 years of both scholarly and policing backgrounds to this effort; as a result, the chapters contain a "real world" flavor not found in most policing textbooks. Disseminated throughout the book are several "Practitioner's Perspectives"--short essays written by selected individuals who have expertise in particular areas of policing.From its introduction, written by Darrel W. Stephens, police chief of Charlotte, North Carolina, through the final chapter, the reader is provided with a penetrating view of what is certainly one of the most difficult and challenging occupations in America. Pedagogical AttributesTo make this textbook more reader-friendly, each chapter in this fourth edition begins with a listing of its key terms and concepts and an overview of the chapter. The textbook also includes "Items for Review" sections at the end of each chapter; it is recommended that the reader examine these items prior to reading the chapter to get a feel for the chapter's contents and to obtain some insight as to its more substantive aspects.Other instructional aids include the "Practitioner's Perspectives," tables and figures, boxes with recent news items, and photographs to aid readers in understanding the work of policing. A listing of relevant Web sites is provided in Appendix A for readers who wish to independently obtain more information about various aspects of policing. Finally, a detailed index at the end of the book facilitates the reader's ability to locate specific topics more quickly. CHAPTER ORGANIZATION AND OVERVIEWChapter 1 discusses the history of policing, and Chapter 2 examines the contemporary status of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and their roles and functions. Chapter 3 examines the police subculture and how ordinary citizens are socialized to the role. The next chapter considers how police organizations are organized and administered and how administrators, middle managers, and supervisors perform their functions. Chapter 5 explores the very important function of patrolling and includes a discussion of the concepts of community policing and community problem solving.Chapter 6, a new chapter, focuses on a rapidly spreading form of policing that is being embraced by thousands of police agencies across the United States and around the world: community oriented policing and problem solving--COPPS. Chapter 7 focuses on criminal investigation, including the highly progressive fields of forensic science and criminalistics, and Chapter 8 looks at several extraordinary police problems and methods: policing terrorism, hate crimes, and militias; the mafia; gangs; small jurisdictions; the homeless; and the nation's borders. The "rule of law" is discussed in Chapter 9, which delineates the constitutional guidelines that direct and constrain police actions. Chapter 10 looks at police accountability to the public, including the issues of police ethics, use of force, and corruption.Police civil liability is examined in Chapter 11. Chapter 12 describes a number of trends and issues, including rights of police officers, women and minorities i