NCJ Number
101361
Date Published
1986
Length
253 pages
Annotation
Field interviews and observations of police departments in six cities (Santa Ana and Oakland, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Detroit, Mich.; Houston, Tex.; and Newark, N.J.;) document a shift away from a distant, technically oriented professionalism of the 1960's to a more community-oriented, preventive approach to urban policing.
Abstract
To respond more effectively to urban crime and fear of crime, some police departments have adopted innovative policies characterized by strong police-community cooperation, command decentralization, more foot patrol, and the civilianization of selected policing operations. This book describes how these new approaches are working in six diverse cities. It analyzes the critical role of visionary police chiefs and shows how the ''old cop'' versus the ''new cop'' attitudes and police bureaucracy have affected reform in each city. Assumptions and experiences that lay the groundwork for innovation are discussed. Individual chapters on each city describe its economic, political, and ethnic environment, crime problems, innovative programs, and their effectiveness. A final chapter examines future trends in American policing. Footnotes, annotated bibliography of over 30 references, and index.