The death of Michael Brown at the hands of a white Ferguson police officer has uncovered an apparent legitimacy crisis at the heart of American policing. Some have claimed that de-policing may have led officers to become less proactive. How exactly has the policing of gangs and violence changed in the post-Ferguson era? This book explores this question, drawing on participant observation field notes and in-depth interviews with officers, offenders, practitioners, and community members in a Southern American state. As demands for police reform have once again come into focus following George Floyd’s death, this crucial book informs future policing practice to promote effective crime prevention and gain public trust.

Illustrated discussion of the need for constant attention to individual officers' conduct with members of the public, and methods to achieve positive experiences. Methods are discussed for developing support among various community groups, such as educational groups, advisory committees, juvenile groups, and the press. There are also sections on handling of civil disturbances and the various sociological problems that confront the police officer. The appendix contains the policy statement of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and a code of ethics.

The death of Michael Brown at the hands of a white Ferguson police officer has uncovered an apparent legitimacy crisis at the heart of American policing. Some have claimed that de-policing may have led officers to become less proactive. How exactly has the policing of gangs and violence changed in the post-Ferguson era? This book explores this question, drawing on participant observation field notes and in-depth interviews with officers, offenders, practitioners, and community members in a Southern American state. As demands for police reform have once again come into focus following George Floyd’s death, this crucial book informs future policing practice to promote effective crime prevention and gain public trust.

An array of techniques, procedures and operational guidelines designed to enable police departments to implement effective community relations projects. This handbook is one of a series of prescriptive packages intended to provide criminal justice administrators with both background information and operational guidelines in selected program areas. This report represents an effort to identify various police operational and organizational practices specifically aimed at the improvement of police-community relations. Through site visits, personal interviews and a survey of the available literature, the author became acquainted with various innovative programs aimed at improving police-community relations. The general strategy recommended emphasizes the need for stressing improved community relations in all major police activities. It presents operational guidelines in the areas of policy administration, field operations, training, personnel procedures, and conflict management. The author concludes that the most critical elements in determining success in such a program are a strong administrative commitment and good police-community relations practices throughout all major police functions.

The purpose of this text is to provide a resource for training police officers in the complexity of community and human relations. The text recognizes that law enforcement is faced with the need to develop line officers who are capable of not only enforcing the law but also of participating in the resolution of social problems associated with crime. The text approaches social problems from the point of view that police are primarily responsible for enforcing law and only indirectly responsible for the resolution of social problems. The authors acknowledge the importance of strengthening police-community relationships. Such relationships have a direct bearing on the character of life in cities and on a community's ability to maintain stability and solve its problems. At the same time, a police department's ability to deal with crime depends to a large extent upon its relation with citizens. Since a community's attitude toward the police is influenced by the actions of individual officers, courteous and tolerant behavior by police officers in their contacts with citizens is essential. If law enforcement programs ignore the conditions that motivate the behavior of minority groups, especially in cities, police officers will continue to act in ways that invite hostility, anger, and violence. The text discusses the effect of social problems on law enforcement, equal justice for minority groups, social change and community tension, implications of group behavior for law enforcement, the link between attitudes and prejudices and the police, and community and human relations. References, charts, and figures.