NCJ Number
130240
Date Published
1991
Length
76 pages
Annotation
After an introductory review of the history of police in the United States, this chapter profiles what police do and discusses various means of managing police discretion.
Abstract
The history of policing addresses the establishment of the "new" police in London and New York City in the mid-1800's and the attendant policy of police use of minimal force to maintain order. A profile of the police role presents a log for three nights of police patrol work in both white and black residential areas of Minneapolis, Minn. Police responsibilities discussed include crime prevention and community policing. A discussion of police discretion examines how the police enforce the law, political influences on police use of discretion, and police interactions with blacks and juveniles. A major section on the control of the police traces the history of how police discretion is controlled in Western Europe and North America. A comparison of the police in the United States and Japan reaffirms one of the central arguments of this book, i.e., that police institutions are shaped by social context. A study of the police hierarchy considers the control of police through personnel selection procedures, through internal governance, through external review by the community, through law, and through control by police unions. The chapter concludes with a discussion of police corruption and how it can best be controlled. 11 recommended readings