U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Thinking About Police: Contemporary Readings, 2nd Edition

NCJ Number
138173
Author(s)
C B Klockars; S D Mastrofski
Date Published
1991
Length
551 pages
Annotation
Two visions provide the basis for this collection of readings on policing, which is designed for use by students: a vision of what policing means, what it can mean, where it has been, where it is, and where it is going; and a vision of what the students need to learn, what they can learn, and how they should be taught.
Abstract
The book begins with a presentation of images and expectations about policing, followed by readings that focus on the history of policing; police and serious crime; the skills police need to accomplish their daily tasks; police discretion; the moral hazards of corruption, brutality, and illicit ways of circumventing rules; and a vision of community-oriented policing. Suggestions of ways to reform community policing conclude the volume. 55 tables and 644 references