Publisher Description

Police culture has been widely criticized as a source of resistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood. This book seeks to capture the heart of police culture—including its tragedies and celebrations—and to understand its powerful themes of morality, solidarity, and common sense, by systematically integrating a broad literature on police culture into middle-range theory, and developing original perspectives about many aspects of police work.

Provides a critical understanding and evaluation of police tactics and the use of force Police violence has historically played an important role in shaping public attitudes toward the government. Community trust and confidence in policing have been undermined by the perception that officers are using force unnecessarily, too frequently, or in problematic ways. The use of force, or harm suffered by a community as a result of such force, can also serve as a flashpoint, a spark that ignites long-simmering community hostility. In Evaluating Police Uses of Force, legal scholar Seth W. Stoughton, former deputy chief of police Jeffrey J. Noble, and distinguished criminologist Geoffrey P. Alpert explore a critical but largely overlooked facet of the difficult and controversial issues of police violence and accountability: how does society evaluate use-of-force incidents? By leading readers through answers to this question from four different perspectives—constitutional law, state law, administrative regulation, and community expectations—and by providing critical information about police tactics and force options that are implicated within those frameworks, Evaluating Police Uses of Force helps situate readers within broader conversations about governmental accountability, the role that police play in modern society, and how officers should go about fulfilling their duties.

The subject of police accountability includes some of the most important developments in American policing: the control of officer-involved shootings and use of force; citizen complaints and the best procedures for handling them; federal 'pattern or practice' litigation against police departments; allegations of race discrimination; early intervention systems to monitor officer behavior; and police self-monitoring efforts. The Second Edition of The New World of Police Accountability covers these subjects and more with a sharp and critical perspective. It provides readers with a comprehensive description of the most recent developments and an analysis of what works, what reforms are promising, and what has proven unsuccessful. The book offers detailed coverage of critical incident reporting; pattern analysis of critical incidents; early intervention systems; internal and external review of citizen complaints; and federal consent decrees.

Robert Kane’s Policing Beyond Coercion proposes a fresh paradigm for conceptualizing the police. In Policing Beyond Coercion, Robert Kane introduces a powerful narrative that encourages policing to move beyond its traditional paradigm with its emphasis on coercion and control. Kane opens by offering a definition of police – based largely on the seminal writings of Egon Bitner and Carl Klockars – and then applies that definition to the police role, arguing that it is time for society to think of policing as an institution whose primary role is to protect life – even when enforcing the law or using force. Kane describes and explains the police subculture, use of force, discretion, recruitment, and accountability and then demonstrates how a protection of life mandate can help policing adapt itself to remain a crucial public institution in a post-George Floyd world. Kane speaks to readers in ways that encourage them to question their assumptions about who the police are while asking them to think about who the police might become. Professors and students will benefit from: A compelling narrative that will keep readers engaged throughout the book A solid foundation in policing, police operations, and strategies An understanding of current role expectations and conflicts A new take on police culture and the “thin blue line” of policing Detailed examinations of stop-and-frisk, use of force and deadly force, discretion, and accountability A push to change the current police recruitment paradigm from one that mostly “screens-out” to one that mostly “screens-in” The introduction of a “new” idea of police that helps policing remain relevant in a post-George Floyd era Non-print materials to support students’ engagement with the book and its concepts: Dynamic, online mapping exercises that allow students to analyze police and criminal behavior in real time Blog posts that address emerging topics in the news and encourage students to discuss them with the author and others Podcasts that highlight personal perspectives from police professionals

This brief presents a study addressing the impact of a college degree upon officer use of force. The average American municipal police academy only requires 26 weeks of training, despite previous studies showing overwhelming support that college educated police officers apply more discretion in their use of force than officers without a college degree. Taking into account contemporary public/police conflicts and how American perceptions of police are based largely on officer use of force, this study offers a more current perspective on the profession’s changing dynamic over the past decade. With data gathered from over 400 officers from 143 distinct municipal police agencies in 6 American states, the study examines the association between a college education and the level of force used to gain compliance during arrest situations, and notes discrepancies between previously studied factors and contextual variables. This brief will be useful for researchers of policing and for those involved with police training.

Procedural and moral shortcomings in both child abuse cases and the long-term deployment of undercover police officers have raised questions about the effectiveness and efficacy of intelligence work, and yet intelligence work plays an ever growing role in policing. Part of a new series on evidence-based policing, this book is the first to offer a comprehensive, fully up-to-date account of how police can--and do--use intelligence, assessing the threats and opportunities presented by new digital technology, like the widespread use of social media and the emergence of "big data," and applying both a practical and an ethical lens to police intelligence activities.

This book is based on my experiences and observations as a 28-year police veteran. I have had the opportunity to be on both sides of the current issues evolving around law enforcement and community relations. I am a black citizen, a retired police captain, a man of faith, a cancer survivor, a dedicated family man, and a man that has love and understanding for all human beings, regardless of their background. With that said, I am also a believer in laws, guidelines, respect, and rights. I am extremely concerned about today’s relationship between the community and law enforcement. I hope that this book will provide the reader with understanding or information that will help close that gap and build that bridge that we all need in order to live a safe, respectful, fair, and equal life of justice. This book will touch on racism, police training, police practices, encounter guidelines, and protest guidelines.

This work covers policing in the UK, reflecting the transformations that have taken place and the increasing professionalisation of one of the country's most important services. It covers policing in its comparative and historical context, and considers the context in which policing takes place.