Police Society

In Brazil, where crime is closely associated with social inequality and failure of the criminal justice system, the police are considered by most to be corrupt, inefficient, and violent, especially when occupying poor areas, and they lack the widespread legitimacy enjoyed by police forces in many nations in the northern hemisphere. This text covers hot-button issues like urban pacification squads, gangs, and drugs, as well as practical topics such as policy, dual civil and military models, and gender relations. The latest volume in the renowned Advances in Police Theory and Practice Series, Police and Society in Brazil fills a gap in English literature about policing in a nation that currently ranks sixth in number of homicides. It is a must-read for criminal justice practitioners, as well as students of international policing.

Social, political, and economic relationships played key roles in the historical development of the police. The authors present policing strategies from the vantage points of marginalized communities and emphasize the intersection of attitudes about class, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation with policies. Police practices cannot be class neutral in a class society, nor can they be race neutral or gender neutral in a racist, sexist, and heterosexist society. The key to understanding the relationship between the police and society is to think critically about the role of power and interests. The second edition includes a new chapter in the section on the police and rebellion covering recent events. There is also a new chapter on Latino/a police officers and an expanded chapter on LGBTQ police officers. Without meaningful social change toward greater justice, police reforms such as community policing and training in cultural diversity will fall short of creating an institution characterized by fairness and equality for all members of society. A clear view of history is essential for understanding the challenges a more diverse police force faces in today’s multicultural environment.

The most productive route to understanding the dynamic interrelationships of the police with society is to examine the recurring, central themes in policing. The articles in this anthology represent some of the best scholarship on compelling issues. Selected for both their complementary and competing natures, the articles serve as touchstones for one another—often challenging previous conceptions. Many selections question the methods by which information was acquired, the practices that evolved from that information, and the background assumptions behind the construction of practices. Some of the many issues and conflicts addressed in this collection include: What is the nature of the police role and function? Who benefits from police service? Who is harmed? How are public safety and social order secured while maintaining individual rights and freedoms? To what extent do our expectations about the police and society reflect our values and demands? Are the police a society unto themselves? Is policing at a critical crossroads? The editors assembled this volume with the goal of helping readers to identify underlying assumptions, to dissect how values influence inquiries, and to discover connections. A better understanding of the role of the police in society provides a solid foundation for assessing the efficacy of future police/society relationships.

In 1964 Ben Whitaker, who later defeated a former Home Secretary to become Hampstead’s first ever Labour MP and a Junior Minister, wrote The Police to try and reconcile (in his own words) ‘the very different impression police officers make when, as a barrister, one is defending from when one is prosecuting in court’. This book was widely praised as ‘The best and most impartial book that has yet been written on the police’ (Lord Gardiner); ‘The most truthful picture to date’ (Sunday Times); ‘Valuable’ (Observer); ‘Terse and telling’ (Sunday Telegraph); ‘Excellent, generous and sensible’ (Punch). After that time, the crime situation seriously deteriorated, as uncertainties about the exact nature of the police’s role in a democracy multiplied. Ben Whitaker spent five years interviewing policemen and others, and in this title, originally published in 1979, almost entirely rewrote his assessment and proposals for ameliorating the situation. Perceptively, critically yet impartially, he analyses the effectiveness, sociology, misconduct, and future of the police, and suggests radical reforms in their powers and relationship with the public. The Police in Society was timely and essential reading for anybody concerned with the human rights of individuals in a democratic society at the time and today can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

"Extremely informative. . . deserves a wide readership, both inside and outside police departments." —Publishers Weekly "An imaginative and insightful account of the day-to-day life of the black police officer in a large urban environment. A must read for all police officers, white as well as black." —Marvin Blue President, Guardians Association New York City Police Department ". . . well written and achieves its purpose. It will be of interest to specialists and students of race relations, urban problems, and criminal justice issues."br>—Library Journal This book is about the world of black police in New York City: who they are, how they work with the department, how they are recruited by whites, how they are treated in turn by their fellow blacks, and how they operate day by day in the richest as well as the poorest parts of the city. Leinen provides direct quotations from police, citizens, city administrators, and street hustlers, as well as detailed assessments of encounters in the everyday relations between police and the public.

The position of the police in both the old democracies and in societies in transition is affected by occasional conflicting legal and professional standards for police work, increasing public expectations, changing crime patterns, stricter standards of effectiveness and accountability and, frequently, inadequacies in the available financial and other resources. This publication contains papers on topics such as: the control of police powers; the prevention of police corruption; powers and accountability of private police; police and the public.

Revised version of papers presented at a conference held at New Delhi during 9-11 February 2004.