Policing America Methods, Issues, Challenges

This fifth edition ofPolicing America, more than its predecessors, reflects the changing times in which we live and the tremendous challenges facing law enforcement officers each day.The specter of terrorism and our resulting emphasis on homeland security loom large throughout this edition, as well as what the police are doing to prevent ? and react to ? any future attacks. Like its forerunners, however, this edition is my best attempt to inform the reader, to the fullest extent possible, of what it is like to wear a police uniform. Because the author brings more than 34 years of both scholarly and policing backgrounds to this effort, the chapters contain a ?real world? flavor not found in most policing textbooks. This text provides a highly practical yet comprehensive view of the largely misunderstood, often obscure world of policing.New materials have been added throughout, especially with regard to terrorism, three eras of community policing, mitochondrial DNA, crimes against children, cold cases, policing in Iraq, new technologies in research and development, and recent court decisions (other nuances are listed below).Meanwhile, this edition continues to provide updated material and in-dept coverage of such topics as patrol, the police subculture, accountability, civil liability, extraordinary problems and practices, the rule of law, investigations, organization and administration, policing in selected foreign venues, and policing in the future. Disseminated throughout the book are several ?Practitioner's Perspectives?--short essays written by selected individuals who have expertise in particular areas of policing. There are other pedagogical attributes as well. To continue my attempt to make this textbook more reader-friendly, each chapter in this edition begins with a listing of its key items and concepts and an overview of the chapter(each key term is bolded the first time it is used in the chapter). The textbook also includes "Items for Review," and "Independent Student Activities," and "Related Web Sites" at the end of each chapter. It is recommended that the reader examine the review items after reading each chapter in order to get a feel for how well the chapter's are understood. The independent activities and Web sites are also intended to enhance the reader's understanding of the applied aspects of policing.Other instructional aids include the aforementioned "Practitioner's Perspectives," tables and figures, and boxes with recent news items. Finally, a detailed index at the end of the book facilitates the reader's ability to locate specific topics more quickly. [ An Instructor's Manual/Test Bank is also available for classroom instructors using this textbook.]From its introduction, by * * * * * *, 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. Chapter Organization and Overview Chapter 1 discusses the history of policing, and Chapter 2 examines the contemporary status of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; here the focus is on the federal agencies, which have been reorganized in major fashion since the creation of Homeland Security. Chapter 3 examines the police subculture and how ordinary citizens are socialized to the role. The next chapter considers how police agencies are organized and administered and how administrators, middle managers, and supervisors perform their functions. Chapter 5 explores the very important function of patrolling and including its methods and menaces. Chapter 6 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 solviPeak, Kenneth J. is the author of 'Policing America Methods, Issues, Challenges', published 2005 under ISBN 9780131188648 and ISBN 013118864X.