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Policing in the US and many western nations is in an era of crisis, facing extensive calls for reformation and change. This edited book outlines the major challenges and changes needed to achieve a more stable future for the policing profession and police organizations. The chapters come from innovative police leaders and officers as well as academics with subject matter expertise, to provide insight into how reform can be done with the police. It focusses on how leaders should understand and approach their role during times of instability and uncertainty. It starts with an examination of how policing reached this state of crisis and discusses some interviews conducted with police leaders, particularly chiefs as agents of change and reform. This is followed by chapters from several veteran police leaders and personnel describing some of the factors that brought policing to this critical time of change and reform, how has policing evolved in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and how that impacts the current environment, and some potential strategies to create meaningful change while considering unintended consequences. The following chapters from academics seek to define paths that policing can take toward needed changes that will increase legitimacy, trust, and equality of policing services. It speaks to students, academics and professionals interested in police organization and administration, police leadership, and contemporary issues in policing and criminal justice.
List of contents
I.- Introduction (Schafer & Myers)_ II.- Perspectives from police executives: Reimaging policing and public safety (Myers & Schafer)_ III.- Views of the chief executive_ IV.- Views of a police supervisor_ V.- Views of a front-line police officer_ VI.- Views of a city manager_ VII.- Recruitment & selection_ VIII.- Women in policing_ IX.- Police training & education_ X.- Police use of force review boards_ XI.- Policing accountability systems/methods/technology_ XII.- Policing protests_ XIII.- Officer well-being and resilience_ XIV.- Policing and race_ XV.- International considerations_ XVI.- Conclusion (Schafer and Myers).
About the author
Joseph A. Schafer is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Dean of Research in the College for Public Health and Social Justice at Saint Louis University, USA. His research focuses on policing, organizational change, leadership, citizen perceptions of police, and futures research in policing.
Richard W. Myers is a retired police chief with over 40 years of law enforcement experience, including 33 years as the chief of 8 different agencies in six different US states. He has served leadership roles in a range of police professional associations, including serving as the President/Chair for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and as the Executive Director for the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA).
