THE ROLE OF THE POLICE

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 374, S. 58-69

Abstract

It is impossible to increase the ability of the police to reduce violent crime unless police-community relations are substantially improved in minority areas. These relationships have been getting increasingly worse because of the rising demands of minority groups, frequent physical & verbal abuse committed by police officers against citizens, & other police activity on the streets. Recent changes in police dept's to make them more professional have often further harmed police-minority relations, & the reforms being adopted in police dept's to improve these relationships have generally not been effective. Substantial improvement in police-minority relations requires that the police & public radically change their concept of what police work is about. Police officers must be seen as one of many diff groups in our society dealing with human problems & serving the public, such as teachers, gang workers, & correctional officers. Such a change will require that police personnel & policies be substantially changed. HA.