Federal Intervention in American Police Departments

Federal Intervention in American Police Departments

Author: Stephen Rushin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-04-07

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1108500935

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For much of American history, the federal government has played a limited role in local police regulation. That all changed in 1994, when Congress passed a little known statute that permitted the US Attorney General to reform troubled police departments. Since then, many of the nation's largest police departments - including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Albuquerque - have been subject to federal oversight. But until recently, we've known little about how this federal process works. Drawing on original interviews, court documents, statistical data, and media reports, this book provides the first comprehensive account of federal intervention in American police departments. It shows that, under the right circumstances, federal intervention is uniquely effective at combating misconduct in police departments. However, federal intervention is far from perfect. This book concludes by arguing that Congress should expand and improve federal oversight of policing.


Book Synopsis Federal Intervention in American Police Departments by : Stephen Rushin

Download or read book Federal Intervention in American Police Departments written by Stephen Rushin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-07 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For much of American history, the federal government has played a limited role in local police regulation. That all changed in 1994, when Congress passed a little known statute that permitted the US Attorney General to reform troubled police departments. Since then, many of the nation's largest police departments - including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Albuquerque - have been subject to federal oversight. But until recently, we've known little about how this federal process works. Drawing on original interviews, court documents, statistical data, and media reports, this book provides the first comprehensive account of federal intervention in American police departments. It shows that, under the right circumstances, federal intervention is uniquely effective at combating misconduct in police departments. However, federal intervention is far from perfect. This book concludes by arguing that Congress should expand and improve federal oversight of policing.


Federal Intervention in Local Policing

Federal Intervention in Local Policing

Author: Robert C. Davis

Publisher:

Published: 2013-04-06

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13: 9781457844799

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In 1994, Congress gave the Civil Rights Div. of the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) the authority to file civil law suits against states and municipalities in the face of a “pattern or practice” of illegal or unconstitutional police actions. Since then, DOJ has investigated police practices in jurisdictions from N.Y. to Calif. In some cases, DOJ filed lawsuits, but these cases were settled by consent decrees or a memorandum of agreement or understanding. These generally outline a specific series of reforms that the police department must implement, and most provide for a federal monitor to oversee compliance. Monitors are expected to complete their assignments within a few years and to leave the local police force capable of monitoring itself and responding effectively to any future officer misconduct. Lessons learned from the early experiences of federal monitoring of local police agencies can offer other jurisdictions models of how to work efficiently with their monitors or help them understand how to bring about police reform without federal intervention. This report examines how the Pittsburgh, PA, Bureau of Police responded to the consent decree and the extent to which changes made under the decree have been institutionalized. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.


Book Synopsis Federal Intervention in Local Policing by : Robert C. Davis

Download or read book Federal Intervention in Local Policing written by Robert C. Davis and published by . This book was released on 2013-04-06 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1994, Congress gave the Civil Rights Div. of the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) the authority to file civil law suits against states and municipalities in the face of a “pattern or practice” of illegal or unconstitutional police actions. Since then, DOJ has investigated police practices in jurisdictions from N.Y. to Calif. In some cases, DOJ filed lawsuits, but these cases were settled by consent decrees or a memorandum of agreement or understanding. These generally outline a specific series of reforms that the police department must implement, and most provide for a federal monitor to oversee compliance. Monitors are expected to complete their assignments within a few years and to leave the local police force capable of monitoring itself and responding effectively to any future officer misconduct. Lessons learned from the early experiences of federal monitoring of local police agencies can offer other jurisdictions models of how to work efficiently with their monitors or help them understand how to bring about police reform without federal intervention. This report examines how the Pittsburgh, PA, Bureau of Police responded to the consent decree and the extent to which changes made under the decree have been institutionalized. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.


The Future of Police Reform

The Future of Police Reform

Author: Samuel Walker

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2024-07-16

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1479826049

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The first thorough study of the Justice Department’s pattern or practice program, examining how it works and how court-imposed consent decrees implement needed reforms American society grapples with an enduring crisis in policing which is inextricably intertwined with the nation’s deeply rooted racial issues. While there have been great strides in policing over the past five decades, the United States continues to wrestle with serious crime and strained relations between law enforcement and African American communities. In this comprehensive analysis, Samuel Walker, a leading figure in the study of criminal justice, focuses on the pivotal federal effort behind police reform—the US Justice Department’s pattern or practice program. Created by Congress in 1994, this program gives the Justice Department the authority to investigate police departments that display patterns of unconstitutional practices, initiate civil suits, and secure court-enforced consent decrees that mandate reform. Walker meticulously examines the reforms dictated by these consent decrees, delves into the challenges of their implementation, and evaluates the progress made by various departments in enhancing police services. Despite various obstacles, the program has proven successful. The Future of Police Reform also considers the broader societal, political, and legal issues that profoundly influence reform efforts, such as an entrenched police subculture hindering change, the formidable power of police unions, and a lack of full support from local political leaders. In conclusion, Walker celebrates reform efforts across the country and foresees a network of local and state centers of activity fostering continued optimism for the future of police reform in the US. A collective effort holds the promise of genuine and lasting change.


Book Synopsis The Future of Police Reform by : Samuel Walker

Download or read book The Future of Police Reform written by Samuel Walker and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2024-07-16 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first thorough study of the Justice Department’s pattern or practice program, examining how it works and how court-imposed consent decrees implement needed reforms American society grapples with an enduring crisis in policing which is inextricably intertwined with the nation’s deeply rooted racial issues. While there have been great strides in policing over the past five decades, the United States continues to wrestle with serious crime and strained relations between law enforcement and African American communities. In this comprehensive analysis, Samuel Walker, a leading figure in the study of criminal justice, focuses on the pivotal federal effort behind police reform—the US Justice Department’s pattern or practice program. Created by Congress in 1994, this program gives the Justice Department the authority to investigate police departments that display patterns of unconstitutional practices, initiate civil suits, and secure court-enforced consent decrees that mandate reform. Walker meticulously examines the reforms dictated by these consent decrees, delves into the challenges of their implementation, and evaluates the progress made by various departments in enhancing police services. Despite various obstacles, the program has proven successful. The Future of Police Reform also considers the broader societal, political, and legal issues that profoundly influence reform efforts, such as an entrenched police subculture hindering change, the formidable power of police unions, and a lack of full support from local political leaders. In conclusion, Walker celebrates reform efforts across the country and foresees a network of local and state centers of activity fostering continued optimism for the future of police reform in the US. A collective effort holds the promise of genuine and lasting change.


Federal Intervention in Local Policing

Federal Intervention in Local Policing

Author: Robert Carl Davis

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Federal Intervention in Local Policing by : Robert Carl Davis

Download or read book Federal Intervention in Local Policing written by Robert Carl Davis and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Police Theory in America

Police Theory in America

Author: Robert C. Wadman

Publisher: Charles C Thomas Publisher

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 0398085684

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measurement of effective policing is based on a quick response to crime that has already been committed, the value of crime prevention has become an afterthought in America's police departments." "The middle chapters outline these issues and identify the strategies to improve police community relationships and adjust the measurements for effective policing. The concluding chapters identify strategies designed to facilitate police department organizational change. Using terms from the discipline of economics, a "micro" strategy and a "macro" strategy are outlined. A new theory of policing concludes the book." "The book is intended primarily as a textbook for criminal justice students, but it will also prove useful to police departments, police academies, city managers, and elected officials responsible for police administration and community safety." --Book Jacket.


Book Synopsis Police Theory in America by : Robert C. Wadman

Download or read book Police Theory in America written by Robert C. Wadman and published by Charles C Thomas Publisher. This book was released on 2009 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: measurement of effective policing is based on a quick response to crime that has already been committed, the value of crime prevention has become an afterthought in America's police departments." "The middle chapters outline these issues and identify the strategies to improve police community relationships and adjust the measurements for effective policing. The concluding chapters identify strategies designed to facilitate police department organizational change. Using terms from the discipline of economics, a "micro" strategy and a "macro" strategy are outlined. A new theory of policing concludes the book." "The book is intended primarily as a textbook for criminal justice students, but it will also prove useful to police departments, police academies, city managers, and elected officials responsible for police administration and community safety." --Book Jacket.


The New World of Police Accountability

The New World of Police Accountability

Author: Samuel E. Walker

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2013-12-09

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1483324648

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The subject of police accountability includes some of the most important developments in American policing: the control of officer-involved shootings and use of force; citizen complaints and the best procedures for handling them; federal 'pattern or practice' litigation against police departments; allegations of race discrimination; early intervention systems to monitor officer behavior; and police self-monitoring efforts. The Second Edition of The New World of Police Accountability covers these subjects and more with a sharp and critical perspective. It provides readers with a comprehensive description of the most recent developments and an analysis of what works, what reforms are promising, and what has proven unsuccessful. The book offers detailed coverage of critical incident reporting; pattern analysis of critical incidents; early intervention systems; internal and external review of citizen complaints; and federal consent decrees.


Book Synopsis The New World of Police Accountability by : Samuel E. Walker

Download or read book The New World of Police Accountability written by Samuel E. Walker and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2013-12-09 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The subject of police accountability includes some of the most important developments in American policing: the control of officer-involved shootings and use of force; citizen complaints and the best procedures for handling them; federal 'pattern or practice' litigation against police departments; allegations of race discrimination; early intervention systems to monitor officer behavior; and police self-monitoring efforts. The Second Edition of The New World of Police Accountability covers these subjects and more with a sharp and critical perspective. It provides readers with a comprehensive description of the most recent developments and an analysis of what works, what reforms are promising, and what has proven unsuccessful. The book offers detailed coverage of critical incident reporting; pattern analysis of critical incidents; early intervention systems; internal and external review of citizen complaints; and federal consent decrees.


Policing the Open Road

Policing the Open Road

Author: Sarah A. Seo

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0674980867

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Policing the Open Road examines how the rise of the car, that symbol of American personal freedom, inadvertently led to ever more intrusive policing--with disastrous consequences for racial equality in our criminal justice system. When Americans think of freedom, they often picture the open road. Yet nowhere are we more likely to encounter the long arm of the law than in our cars. Sarah Seo reveals how the rise of the automobile transformed American freedom in radical ways, leading us to accept--and expect--pervasive police power. As Policing the Open Road makes clear, this expectation has had far-reaching political and legal consequences.--


Book Synopsis Policing the Open Road by : Sarah A. Seo

Download or read book Policing the Open Road written by Sarah A. Seo and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Policing the Open Road examines how the rise of the car, that symbol of American personal freedom, inadvertently led to ever more intrusive policing--with disastrous consequences for racial equality in our criminal justice system. When Americans think of freedom, they often picture the open road. Yet nowhere are we more likely to encounter the long arm of the law than in our cars. Sarah Seo reveals how the rise of the automobile transformed American freedom in radical ways, leading us to accept--and expect--pervasive police power. As Policing the Open Road makes clear, this expectation has had far-reaching political and legal consequences.--


The Impact of Affirmative Action and Civil Service on American Police Personnel Systems

The Impact of Affirmative Action and Civil Service on American Police Personnel Systems

Author: Hubert G. Locke

Publisher:

Published: 1979

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13:

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The impact of civil service and affirmative action programs on minority employment in the law enforcement setting is addressed in this monograph. Each stage of the federal government's program to insure equal employment opportunity from nondiscrimination through affirmative action has been accompanied by acrimonious public debate, focusing particularly on affirmative action, which is designed to develop guidelines, timetables, and other measurable indexes by which employers can be held accountable for their progress, or lack of it, in implementing national policy. The principal burden of finding answers to the complex issues surrounding minority employment has fallen to the courts. Numerous judicial decisions, with enormous implications for police agencies, have been translated into procedural regulations covering the measures, techniques, criteria, and processes that may be used for employment decisions and employment selection. Several employment practices which may create problems in the area of employment discrimination are included. Whether due to enlightened police leadership, community pressures, political circumstances, civil service intervention, or a combination of all these factors, the racial characteristics of American policing have begun to change substantially over the past decade. Ten years ago, approximately 4 percent of the sworn police personnel in the nation were racial minorities; today, that figure has risen to 10 percent. Findings of the public service administration show that one of the most important factors in changing the nature and quality of policing is the courage and commitment of police leadership. To the extent that increasing minority and female participation in the ranks of sworn police officers is a crucial part of this change process, there is the added finding that such efforts are not enhanced by a reliance on the regulatory role of civil service. Several suggestions for institutionalizing this change process are noted.


Book Synopsis The Impact of Affirmative Action and Civil Service on American Police Personnel Systems by : Hubert G. Locke

Download or read book The Impact of Affirmative Action and Civil Service on American Police Personnel Systems written by Hubert G. Locke and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impact of civil service and affirmative action programs on minority employment in the law enforcement setting is addressed in this monograph. Each stage of the federal government's program to insure equal employment opportunity from nondiscrimination through affirmative action has been accompanied by acrimonious public debate, focusing particularly on affirmative action, which is designed to develop guidelines, timetables, and other measurable indexes by which employers can be held accountable for their progress, or lack of it, in implementing national policy. The principal burden of finding answers to the complex issues surrounding minority employment has fallen to the courts. Numerous judicial decisions, with enormous implications for police agencies, have been translated into procedural regulations covering the measures, techniques, criteria, and processes that may be used for employment decisions and employment selection. Several employment practices which may create problems in the area of employment discrimination are included. Whether due to enlightened police leadership, community pressures, political circumstances, civil service intervention, or a combination of all these factors, the racial characteristics of American policing have begun to change substantially over the past decade. Ten years ago, approximately 4 percent of the sworn police personnel in the nation were racial minorities; today, that figure has risen to 10 percent. Findings of the public service administration show that one of the most important factors in changing the nature and quality of policing is the courage and commitment of police leadership. To the extent that increasing minority and female participation in the ranks of sworn police officers is a crucial part of this change process, there is the added finding that such efforts are not enhanced by a reliance on the regulatory role of civil service. Several suggestions for institutionalizing this change process are noted.


When Police Use Force

When Police Use Force

Author: Craig Boylstein

Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 171

ISBN-13: 9781626376991

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Book Synopsis When Police Use Force by : Craig Boylstein

Download or read book When Police Use Force written by Craig Boylstein and published by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This book was released on 2018 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Evaluating Police Uses of Force

Evaluating Police Uses of Force

Author: Seth W. Stoughton

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2021-02-01

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1479810169

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Provides a critical understanding and evaluation of police tactics and the use of force Police violence has historically played an important role in shaping public attitudes toward the government. Community trust and confidence in policing have been undermined by the perception that officers are using force unnecessarily, too frequently, or in problematic ways. The use of force, or harm suffered by a community as a result of such force, can also serve as a flashpoint, a spark that ignites long-simmering community hostility. In Evaluating Police Uses of Force, legal scholar Seth W. Stoughton, former deputy chief of police Jeffrey J. Noble, and distinguished criminologist Geoffrey P. Alpert explore a critical but largely overlooked facet of the difficult and controversial issues of police violence and accountability: how does society evaluate use-of-force incidents? By leading readers through answers to this question from four different perspectives—constitutional law, state law, administrative regulation, and community expectations—and by providing critical information about police tactics and force options that are implicated within those frameworks, Evaluating Police Uses of Force helps situate readers within broader conversations about governmental accountability, the role that police play in modern society, and how officers should go about fulfilling their duties.


Book Synopsis Evaluating Police Uses of Force by : Seth W. Stoughton

Download or read book Evaluating Police Uses of Force written by Seth W. Stoughton and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2021-02-01 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a critical understanding and evaluation of police tactics and the use of force Police violence has historically played an important role in shaping public attitudes toward the government. Community trust and confidence in policing have been undermined by the perception that officers are using force unnecessarily, too frequently, or in problematic ways. The use of force, or harm suffered by a community as a result of such force, can also serve as a flashpoint, a spark that ignites long-simmering community hostility. In Evaluating Police Uses of Force, legal scholar Seth W. Stoughton, former deputy chief of police Jeffrey J. Noble, and distinguished criminologist Geoffrey P. Alpert explore a critical but largely overlooked facet of the difficult and controversial issues of police violence and accountability: how does society evaluate use-of-force incidents? By leading readers through answers to this question from four different perspectives—constitutional law, state law, administrative regulation, and community expectations—and by providing critical information about police tactics and force options that are implicated within those frameworks, Evaluating Police Uses of Force helps situate readers within broader conversations about governmental accountability, the role that police play in modern society, and how officers should go about fulfilling their duties.