Policing Las Vegas chronicles the evolution of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from the days of night watchmen and cops who carted drunks to jail on horseback to today's acclaimed Metropolitan Police Department. It's filled with stories about the colorful characters on both sides of the law, drawn from history, legend, and the personal accounts of many men and women who policed Las Vegas.
This book discusses in-depth how to get hired as a police officer in the United States. The author discusses the process of getting hired from an applicant's point of view as well as the point of view of the person hiring for the agency. He also discusses the process of being trained to be a police officer from the perspective of the trainee and the trainer. Further, the book takes you on the exciting journey of being a police officer in the inner city for two decades. You will be taken on a journey that only those who have been police officers have traveled, experiencing the real world of policing unfiltered and unbiased. You will experience the excitement and heartache that police officers experience daily.
Revealing the cross utility potential of multiple disciplines to advance knowledge in crime studies, History & Crime showcases new research into crime from across the interdisciplinary perspectives of early modern and modern history, criminology, forensic psychology, and legal studies.
Policing Gangs in America describes the assumptions, issues, problems, and events that characterize, shape, and define the police response to gangs in America today. The focus of this 2006 book is on the gang unit officers themselves and the environment in which they work. A discussion of research, statistical facts, theory, and policy with regard to gangs, gang members, and gang activity is used as a backdrop. The book is broadly focused on describing how gang units respond to community gang problems, and answers such questions as: why do police agencies organize their responses to gangs in certain ways? Who are the people who elect to police gangs? How do they make sense of gang members - individuals who spark fear in most citizens? What are their jobs really like? What characterizes their working environment? How do their responses to the gang problem fit with other policing strategies, such as community policing?
The remarkable economic growth of Las Vegas between 1980 and 2007 created a population boom and a major increase in the ethnic and religious diversity of the city. Today, over 21 percent of the city’s population is foreign born, and over 30 percent speak a language other than English at home. The local court system offers interpreters in 82 languages, and in 2005/2006, for example, more than 11,000 people, originating from 138 countries, were naturalized there as American citizens.More Peoples of Las Vegas extends the survey of this city’s cosmopolitan population begun in The Peoples of Las Vegas (University of Nevada Press, 2005). As in the previous book, this volume includes well-established groups like the Irish and Germans, and recently arrived groups like the Ethiopians and Guatemalans. Essays describe the history of each group in Las Vegas and the roles they play in the life and economy of the city. The essays also explore the influence of modern telecommunications and accessible air travel, showing how these factors allow newcomers to create transnational identities and maintain ties with families and culture back home. They also examine the role of local institutions—including clubs, religious organizations, shops, restaurants, and newspapers and other media—in helping immigrants maintain their ethnic and religious identities and in disseminating national and even regional cultures of origin.More Peoples of Las Vegas adds to our awareness of the rich and varied ethnic and religious character of Las Vegans. In a broader context, it offers thoughtful perspectives on the impact of globalization on a major American city and on the realities of immigrant life in the twenty-first century.
Policing in America, Ninth Edition, provides a thorough analysis of the key issues in policing today, and offers an issues-oriented discussion focusing on critical concerns such as personnel systems, organization and management, operations, discretion, use of force, culture and behavior, ethics and deviance, civil liability, and police-community relations. In the field of law enforcement in the United States, it is essential to know the contemporary problems being faced and combine that knowledge with empirical research and theoretical reasoning to arrive at best practices and an understanding of policing. The text opens with a critical assessment of police history and the role politics played in the development of American police institutions and concludes with consideration of such contemporary issues as globalization, terrorism, and homeland security. Appropriate for introductory policing courses, this new edition not only offers updated research and examples, it also incorporates ways for the reader to connect to the content through learning objectives, discussion questions, and "Myths and Realities of Policing" boxes. Video and Internet links provide additional coverage of important issues. With completely revised and updated chapters, Policing in America, Ninth Edition, provides an up-to-date examination of what to expect as a police officer in America.
Dennis P. Rosenbaum, one of the most important researchers in police and crime prevention matters, has published this collection of original articles outlining the state of evaluative research on American community policing projects for the past decade. All the big names in the field have been included. Among them are John Eck, Mary Ann Wycoff, Wesley Skogan, Robert Trojanowicz, David Bayley, and Mark Moore. . . . This book is unique. If the reader is interested in the contemporary North American point of view on police matters, but has time to read only one book on the subject, we would recommend this book. --André Normandeau in Canadian Journal of Criminology (translated from French) "This is a helpful framework and provides the reader with a focus that is often lacking in edited collections of papers. The Challenge of Community Policing is clear, well structured, and well referenced and provides the reader with a good understanding of the current situation regarding community policing." --Elizabeth Gilchrist in Urban Studies "This book provides an interesting insight into the ways in which progressive police managers are seeking to come to terms with changed times." --Karim Murji in LCCJ Newsletter "Community policing has become the new orthodoxy for police in the United States, as well as in other countries around the world. Although the movement′s philosophies and practices are spreading rapidly, little is known about the range of ongoing activities, the components of these experimental initiatives, the problems and challenges encountered, and the level of success in achieving objectives. Providing a clear picture of national and international trends in progressive police administration. The Challenge of Community Policing explores the cutting edge of this movement with some of the best empirical studies to date. In this volume Dennis Rosenbaum has gathered together the expertise of widely recognized researchers to address the fundamental question of whether community policing is on the road to fulfilling its many promises. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the authors present a thorough evaluation of the social and organizational processes involved in planning and implementing community policing, as well as the effects of such programs." --L′Officier de Police Community policing has become the new orthodoxy for police in the United States, as well as in other countries around the world. While the movement′s philosophies and practices are spreading rapidly, little is known about the range of ongoing activities, the components of these experimental initiatives, problems and challenges encountered, and the level of success in achieving objectives. Providing a clear picture of national and international trends in progressive police administration, The Challenge of Community Policing explores the cutting edge of this movement with some of the best empirical studies to date. In this carefully edited volume, Dennis Rosenbaum has gathered together the expertise of widely-recognized researchers to address the fundamental question of whether community policing is on the road to fulfilling its many promises. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the authors present a thorough evaluation of the social and organizational processes involved in planning and implementing community policing, as well as the effects of such programs and policies on police personnel, police organizations, citizens, and neighborhood environments. Researchers, practitioners, and policy makers will find that The Challenge of Community Policing skillfully bridges the gap between the theory and everyday practice of community police reform. "In this exceedingly informative collection, Rosenbaum has assembled cogent essays from some of the most respected criminal justice researchers. Contributors examine the experiences of many agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Britain that have adopted the community policing philosophy, candidly describe successes and failures, and provide an assessment of the future. . . . The volume separates fact from fiction and should shorten the learning curve of any law enforcement administrator who seeks to implement this alternative method of policing. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and graduate students. A ′must read′ for law enforcement practitioners and criminal justice faculty." --S. L. Gottlieb in Choice "In The Challenge of Community Policing, Dennis P. Rosenbaum has made an important and timely contribution to policing in America. Important because he has assembled the work of a group of the nation′s most thoughtful and respected researchers on policing that provides a current assessment of the field′s progress toward reframing the way America′s cities are policed. Timely because it comes on the threshold of the greatest infusion of federal dollars into local policing in the history of our nation. The greatest portion of those dollars are dedicated to putting officers on the street to engage in community policing. The Challenge offers considerable insight into the experience of police agencies in America, Canada, and England that have had the courage to move into uncharted waters with the hope of having greater impact on crime, violence, and fear. The complexity of the issues are acknowledged while appropriate cautions and important questions are raised. This book will become a useful tool for researchers and practitioners as more police agencies make serious attempts to work with members of their community in a partnership to solve problems." --Chief Darrel W. Stephens, St. Petersburg, Florida "I recently had the opportunity to review The Challenge of Community Policing by Dennis P. Rosenbaum and found the book to be an excellent resource for both the academic and practitioner. The information is current, presented in a well-balanced manner, and relies on respected scholars who understand the concept of community policing. Given the importance of this movement in police practices, not to mention the central role community policing has in the current federal crime control initiative, The Challenge of Community Policing provides a thorough view of the philosophy and issues. Dr. Rosenbaum′s work is an important contribution to the literature." --David L. Carter, Professor and Director National Center for Community Policing
Although law enforcement officials have long recognized the need to cooperate with the communities they serve, recent efforts to enhance performance and maximize resources have resulted in a more strategic approach to collaboration among police, local governments, and community members. The goal of these so-called "community policing" initiatives is to prevent neighborhood crime, reduce the fear of crime, and enhance the quality of life in communities. Despite the growing national interest in and support for community policing, the factors that influence an effective implementation have been largely unexplored. Drawing on data from nearly every major U.S. municipal police force, Community Policing in America is the first comprehensive study to examine how the organizational context and structure of police organizations impact the implementation of community policing. Jeremy Wilson’s book offers a unique theoretical framework within which to consider community policing, and identifies key internal and external factors that can facilitate or impede this process, including community characteristics, geographical region, police chief turnover, and structural complexity and control. It also provides a simple tool that practitioners, policymakers, and researchers can use to measure community policing in specific police organizations.
Remarkably little has been written about the theory and practice of applied police research, despite growing demand for evidence in crime prevention. Designed to fill this gap, this book offers a valuable new resource. It contains a carefully curated selection of contributions from some of the world's leading applied police researchers. Together, the authors have almost 300 years of relevant experience across three continents. The volume contains both practical everyday advice and calls for more fundamental change in how police research is created, consumed and applied. It covers diverse topics, including the art of effective collaborations, the interaction between policing, academia and policy, the interplay between theory and practice and managing ethical dilemmas. This book will interest a broad and international audience from academics and students, to police management, officers and trainees, to policymakers and research funders.
Police officers are responsible for maintaining law and order to ensure everyone's safety and well-being. In doing so, they often put their lives on the line, making it a dangerous and challenging profession. In contemporary America, police forces are criticized for disproportionately targeting people of color, offering indemnity to the small percentage of police officers that act unlawfully or otherwise irresponsibly, and using unnecessarily brutal policing practices. The viewpoints in this volume will allow readers to become more familiar with all sides of policing in America through careful examination of relevant facts and opinions.
