Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement and Policing

Rising terrorism and advances in technology, along with new organizational strategies and investigative techniques, have stretched the traditional role of the police officer. Calls for strong, intelligence-driven, paramilitary policing juxtaposed with a demand for “softer” community policing, leave officers under increased pressure to be tough and resolute, yet compassionate, accountable, and adaptable. A measured analysis of these concerns is crucial to enable police officers to move forward in this increasingly conflicted world

Drawn from the most important articles in Police Practice and Research, Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement and Policing focuses on the most common issues affecting today’s officers. Enhanced with an introduction and conclusion to present and weigh the arguments and consider the pragmatic aspects and challenges posed, the articles are written by academics and practicing police officers from four countries to provide a balanced, international point of view.

Assessing the driving forces behind contemporary policing, this book—

· Addresses day-to-day policing and the stress found in both the daily grind and the division and stigmatization of certain branches of the force

· Considers ethics, corruption, and the dangers of misplaced loyalties, highlighting Australian strategies to prevent misconduct

· Provides a typology of terrorism based on scope and justification and discusses appropriate counterterrorism measures, as well as the impact on other policing priorities

· Introduces a temporal component to the traditional spatial emphasis of crime mapping supported by a Madrid case study and its revealing failures

· Discusses restorative policing as a fundamental shift in intervention objectives, from punishment or treatment to an emphasis on repairing harm

An objective look at today’s trends, this book presents the most pertinent and talked-about issues in modern policing and provides perspective and direction for the future.