For the past 40 years, the majority of law enforcement personnel could depend on regular salary increases, better health care, and pension benefits while reaping the advantages of belonging to an organization that was learning how to gain and use political power. However, these peaceful and untroubled days are over. Police unions, despite their best efforts at the bargaining table, now find themselves preparing their members for layoffs, pay and benefit cuts, and more restrictive working conditions. Leaders are trying to fight back against the well-financed, organized efforts to weaken the public sector unions, eliminate collective bargaining rights, end defined benefit pensions, and privatize the job. Police unions must change the way they do business if they want to survive. This book identifies how to mount an effective political campaign, the complexities of confrontations, and the reasons police union leaders fail. The book is divided into five primary parts, each of which explores police union management. Part I focuses on the myriad of police challenges, Part II examines the three reasons union leaders fail, Part III examines the ability to embrace reforms, Part IV discusses the future of policing, and finally, Part V evaluates the national and international perspectives on the current issues that impact policing. Areas of discussion include officer-involved shootings; stopping the growing racial divide between law enforcement and citizens; complex issues concerning body cams; how to use social media effectively; mastering a certain leadership style; changing the culture of unions; more diversity among leadership; and motivating membership. By following the superb analysis and creative ideas for solutions in this book, police labor leaders, law enforcement personnel, and policymakers will see the quality of their efforts improve remarkably.

The authors have more than 100 years of collective experience in assisting police unions. It all seemed so simple and formulaic. A social movement that had been lingering for decades reached a tipping point, and unions now had their greatest challenge ever. The last 5 years have seen what unions would describe as apocalyptic demands for reforms. Union leaders ranted about a war on the police, the end of the profession, and increasing hostility towards the police by the liberal media and politicians. Unions must change the way they do business if they want to survive. This book identifies the who, what and why of the reform movement, how to mount an effective political campaign, the complexities of an effective message, and the reasons police union leaders succeed and fail. This book is divided into five primary parts, each of which explores a police profession under attack from reform activists, left leaning media, politically correct chiefs, and weak mayors and councils afraid to push back against unrealistic and overreaching demands for reforms. Part I focuses on viewing reform as a social movement. Part II examines the battle between unions and reform activists. Part III unravels the mysterious world of police unions. Part IV predicts the future of the reform movement and police unions in light of the struggle taking place nationwide, and finally, Part V are case studies, perspectives and predictions from contributing authors who are on the front lines of the police labor movement in the U.S. and Australia. By following the superb analysis and creative ideas in this book, police union leaders, police management, law enforcement personnel, criminal justice professors and policymakers will see a path to reaching an accord on reform and advancing the police profession.

This is a summary report of a two-year study of police unions and their effect on policing and law enforcement. The growth of police unionism in the united states during the 1960's has been a phenomenon of major importance in police management. Police unions in twenty-two urban areas were the target of this field study, during which interviews were conducted with police chiefs or their representatives, city labor relations representatives, police union leaders, and black officer organization leaders. The study explains the influences resulting in the recent rise of militancy in police unions and describes the present nature of these organizations. The effect of the lack of a single employer-figure on the form and conduct of collecting bargaining is discussed, as well as the impact of unions on labor-management relations. The study examines the dimensions of police union bargaining power and the use labor leaders make of this power in varying situations. The relationship between unionization and professionalization is analyzed, as is the impact of police labor organizing on the chief's ability to manage and on the formulation of law enforcement policy. The nature of black officer organizations, and the factors which led to their formation, are compared with similar characteristics of police unions, and the divergence of purpose is examined in relation to intra-departmental racial unrest. Appended is a bibliography on police unions and labor organizations.

This all new book brings new perspectives and ideas for police labor leaders to succeed in these challenging times; and includes major revisions and updates of the 1997 book Police Association Power, Politics, and Confrontation, including a title change. The book is an expansive and comprehensive text on police unions, encompassing the vast and intricate changes that have taken place in the field since the authors' last book. There are principles at work in every community, which, if understood by police labor leaders, will allow them to drive their organizations to greatness. These principles.

The first thorough study of the Justice Department’s pattern or practice program, examining how it works and how court-imposed consent decrees implement needed reforms American society grapples with an enduring crisis in policing which is inextricably intertwined with the nation’s deeply rooted racial issues. While there have been great strides in policing over the past five decades, the United States continues to wrestle with serious crime and strained relations between law enforcement and African American communities. In this comprehensive analysis, Samuel Walker, a leading figure in the study of criminal justice, focuses on the pivotal federal effort behind police reform—the US Justice Department’s pattern or practice program. Created by Congress in 1994, this program gives the Justice Department the authority to investigate police departments that display patterns of unconstitutional practices, initiate civil suits, and secure court-enforced consent decrees that mandate reform. Walker meticulously examines the reforms dictated by these consent decrees, delves into the challenges of their implementation, and evaluates the progress made by various departments in enhancing police services. Despite various obstacles, the program has proven successful. The Future of Police Reform also considers the broader societal, political, and legal issues that profoundly influence reform efforts, such as an entrenched police subculture hindering change, the formidable power of police unions, and a lack of full support from local political leaders. In conclusion, Walker celebrates reform efforts across the country and foresees a network of local and state centers of activity fostering continued optimism for the future of police reform in the US. A collective effort holds the promise of genuine and lasting change.

This collection of papers examines issues and problems in policing of municipal police, sheriffs' departments, and private security agencies. Topics include police women, collective bargaining, and management. A survey of the needs, problems, priorities, and values of selected chiefs of police throughout the united states is reported; results indicate that many chiefs are aware of organizational and operational shortcomings of their departments, respond to the findings of published research, and recognize that improvements must be made for more efficient policing. The historical processes of police management are summarized, and the meaning and importance of valid and reliable police performance data for police management are discussed. Legal issues affecting law enforcement are considered; it is concluded that law is a social force at both the national and local level, which affects the nature and future of policing. The use of preventive patrol to deter crime is considered to have little effect on citizen fear or arrest rates. Continuation of police patrol should be conducted according to defined, specific needs and problems. A female officer discusses the future of women in policing, predicting that as much as 50 percent of the police force could be female in the future. Police collective bargaining and the future development of police unions are examined. The roles of the sheriff and private security are explored in relation to police work. Better licensing, selection, training, and registration are recommended for private security forces. The concluding chapter considers the future of police improvement. It is suggested that innovative police tactics are inefficient unless accompanied by specific and stated objectives.

This Brief examines the role of Police Unions in law enforcement policy development. It provides an overview of the historical and political background of police labor unions, and takes a critical look at the shifting perception of labor unions from generally positive to somewhat negative, to compare this perception with their real impact. It examines the perceived role that unions play, whether positive, negative, or neutral in the development and advancement of contemporary law enforcement agencies and their respective policies. This work provides a multisite survey of police administrators’ views and opinions on police union impact on a variety of police functions including: delivery of services, prevention of crime and disorder, and interaction with the public. The results of this research provide a comprehensive look at ways to improve the ways police departments operate and how they improve and enhance legitimacy in their communities.It provides a context for the current state of the public sector labor relations environment. It will be of interest to researchers in criminology and criminal justice, police science, and public policy.