Policing Compassion

Do you give to someone begging? For centuries, the figure of the beggar has caused public fear, sympathy and confusion. In this book, criminologist Joe Hermer explores how the dilemma of giving to someone begging today has become an unusual site of regulation, public inquiry and law reform. This book investigates why handing pocket change to someone begging is now widely viewed as a gift crime, one that attempts to make the giving public complicit in the policing and control of visibly poor people. Drawing on the historical insight that public feeling is a central problem of policing the vagrant beggar, the author examines how a quirky provincial experiment to stop people giving to beggars morphed into an unlikely movement across England. Hermer ranges widely in his analysis, with discussions of 'diverted giving' schemes, specialised police operations, activist efforts to repeal the Vagrancy Law, and begging-like activities such as busking, Big Issue vending and flag day collections. The author pays particular attention to the Vagrancy Act 1824 and the historic reforms enabled by gift crime regulation to this storied area of criminal law. The consequence, this book argues, is the continuing abandonment of some of the most vulnerable individuals in society through direct appeals to compassion and kindness.

This book is dedicated to improving the practice of the policing of domestic abuse. Its objective is to help inform those working in policing about the dynamics of how domestic abuse occurs, how best to respond to and investigate it, and in the longer term how to prevent it. Divided into thematic areas, the book uses recent research findings to update some of the theoretical analysis and to highlight areas of good practice: ‘what works and why’. An effective investigation and the prosecution of offenders are considered, as well as an evaluation of the success of current treatment options. Policing domestic abuse can only be dealt with through an effective partnership response. The responsibilities of each agency and the statutory processes in place when policy is not adhered to are outlined. Core content includes: A critique of definitions and theoretical approaches to domestic abuse, including coverage of the myths surrounding domestic abuse and their impact on policing. An exploration on the challenges of collecting data on domestic abuse, looking at police data and the role of health and victim support services. A critical review of different forms of abuse, different perpetrators and victims, and risk assessment tools used by the police. A critical examination of the law relating to domestic abuse; how police resources are deployed to respond to and manage it; and best practice in investigation, gathering evidence, and prosecution Key perspectives on preventing domestic abuse, protecting victims, and reducing harm. Written with the student and budding practitioner in mind, this book is filled with case studies, current research, reports, and media examples, as well as a variety of reflective questions and a glossary of key terms, to help shed light on the challenges of policing domestic violence and the links between academic research and best practice.

"The compassion led policing concept seeks to change the perspective of law enforcement. Law enforcement in the United States has often adopted a warrior mentality and has trained its officers within that framework. Changing the outlook of the individual officer from service to assistance, from warrior to community member, and from enforcer to changer can help regain the confidence, trust, and belief of the people they desire to support." -- page 4 of cover.

Society's current view of law enforcement in America is not a positive one. Officers are viewed as overzealous, rude, and to some even brutal. There needs to be a shift in the focus of law enforcement, starting at the lowest level of the system, the police officer themselves. The Compassion Lead Policing concept aims to change the focus of the individual police officer. To change policing, the mentality of the officer must shift from one of being a warrior to being a community member, from dealing with perpetrators to dealing with individuals. We must move away from the methods of law enforcement and toward the ideal of policing.

Named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by The Washington Post “Tangled Up in Blue is a wonderfully insightful book that provides a lens to critically analyze urban policing and a road map for how our most dispossessed citizens may better relate to those sworn to protect and serve.” —The Washington Post “Remarkable . . . Brooks has produced an engaging page-turner that also outlines many broadly applicable lessons and sensible policy reforms.” —Foreign Affairs Journalist and law professor Rosa Brooks goes beyond the "blue wall of silence" in this radical inside examination of American policing In her forties, with two children, a spouse, a dog, a mortgage, and a full-time job as a tenured law professor at Georgetown University, Rosa Brooks decided to become a cop. A liberal academic and journalist with an enduring interest in law's troubled relationship with violence, Brooks wanted the kind of insider experience that would help her understand how police officers make sense of their world—and whether that world can be changed. In 2015, against the advice of everyone she knew, she applied to become a sworn, armed reserve police officer with the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department. Then as now, police violence was constantly in the news. The Black Lives Matter movement was gaining momentum, protests wracked America's cities, and each day brought more stories of cruel, corrupt cops, police violence, and the racial disparities that mar our criminal justice system. Lines were being drawn, and people were taking sides. But as Brooks made her way through the police academy and began work as a patrol officer in the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods of the nation's capital, she found a reality far more complex than the headlines suggested. In Tangled Up in Blue, Brooks recounts her experiences inside the usually closed world of policing. From street shootings and domestic violence calls to the behind-the-scenes police work during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential inauguration, Brooks presents a revelatory account of what it's like inside the "blue wall of silence." She issues an urgent call for new laws and institutions, and argues that in a nation increasingly divided by race, class, ethnicity, geography, and ideology, a truly transformative approach to policing requires us to move beyond sound bites, slogans, and stereotypes. An explosive and groundbreaking investigation, Tangled Up in Blue complicates matters rather than simplifies them, and gives pause both to those who think police can do no wrong—and those who think they can do no right.

How is our society doing at maintaining a real partnership between the police and the public? If you're thinking "not that well", or worse, this book may be a welcome surprise. The Other Side of the Door is an account of one extraordinary experiment by a remarkable group, jointly headed by theater artist Rachel Parish and by Jack Cambria, the longtime (2001-2015) commander of the New York Police Department's elite Hostage Negotiation Team. The group also included law enforcement professionals and students, five poets, an emergency medicine physician, conflict management experts, a sociologist and two psychologists. With this unprecedented combination of viewpoints and talents the group set out to create a new approach to police training for emotional competence. They learned as much from what did not work as from what did. Both the successes and the failures are documented in this groundbreaking book. The results suggest some new possibilities for reconciling our police forces and the people they must serve. Student Reactions to the Experimental Course In contrast to today's charged environment, The Other Side of the Door offers a shining example of how policing should be done: with insight, empathy and compassion. This book offers more than a vision: it provides specific examples borne from years of on-the-job experience in NYC's challenging hostage negotiation environment, where applying these principles saved lives. Indeed, the applications of this book and course go beyond policing. It is highly recommended reading for anyone with authority and discretion about how to conduct themselves with staff or customers, as well as members of a greater community. I very much appreciated being part of this extraordinary project. Alex Yaroslavsky As an officer on the streets of New York City you have to be ready for anything. This course and its knowledge adds more tools to my tool box for the sometimes not so nice Streets of NYC. Rich Hornberger I was thrilled to be able to take part in this project... After graduating from John Jay, I have been able to use the lessons (from) this project in not only my personal, but also professional life. The project has helped me to reframe my perception of situations which I encounter, looking at the entirety of the situation rather than only at what is right in front of me. Something as simple as taking a step back and observing one's surroundings (what you hear, smell, and see) outside of the immediate situation can provide information which might shape the way I react to a situation... I am certain that the skills I learned during this project... created a fantastic base for me to build upon. Alex H. Levitz It was an honor to be in the Experimental Course concerning negotiation and mood control. As a police officer I need to face different people every day-colleagues, suspects and the many people who need our help. Sometimes it's really stressful and I am on the edge of losing my temper. At that moment, your words in that wonderful course, and the small cards you gave me-which l keep on my desk-remind me to control myself and put my feet into the other's shoes. It really works and always leads to a good result. (The workshop) showed me not only the skills of negotiation and mood control, but the way and attitude I should have in life, to others and to myself. ZHOU Qinggang, Superintendent of Police, Yunnan Public Security Department, China.

The police fight a different kind of war, and the enemy is the police officer's own civilian population: those who engage in crime, social indignity, and inhumane treatment of others. The result for the police officer is both physical and psychological battering, occasionally culminating in the officer sacrificing his or her life to protect others. This book focuses on the psychological impact of police civilian combat. During a police career, the men and women of police agencies are exposed to distressing events that go far beyond the experience of the ordinary citizen, and there is an increased need today to help police officers deal with these traumatic experiences. As police work becomes increasingly complex, this need will grow. Mental health and other professionals need to be made aware of the conditions and precipitants of trauma stress among the police. The goal of this book is to provide that important information. The book's perspective is based on the idea that trauma stress is a product of complex interaction of person, place, situation, support mechanisms, and interventions. To effectively communicate this to the reader, new conceptual and methodological considerations, essays on special groups in policing, and innovative ideas on recovery and treatment of trauma are presented. This information can be used to prevent or minimize trauma stress and to help in establishing improved support and therapeutic measures for police officers. Contributions in the book are from professionals who work with police officers, and in some cases those who are or have been police officers, to provide the reader with different perspectives. Chapters are grouped into three sections: conceptual and methodological issues, special police groups, and recovery and treatment. The book concludes with a discussion of issues and identifies future directions for conceptualization, assessment, intervention, and effective treatment of psychological trauma in policing.