Police Ethics

Cohen and Feldberg use a moral perspective grounded in the social contract to define the responsibilities assumed by the police when they accept the authority to govern. Part I develops a system of ethical standards by which to measure responsible police behavior: fair access, public trust, safety and security, teamwork, and objectivity. In Part II, the book applies these standards to several familiar yet challenging cases encountered daily in municipal patrol work, illustrating how police officers can develop appropriate moral responses to complex and difficult circumstances.

A strong challenge against the present American system of law enforcement, this book contends that politics have prevented police from achieving their sworn mission. Although his analysis is based on established theory, the author uses his own research and experience as evidence of the failure of the criminal justice system. Police departments are revealed as examples of a bureaucracy that has lost sight of its purpose and only seeks to survive. This work will be of interest to those seeking a different and controversial view of criminal justice, police science, public administration, urban studies, and political science programs.

Recognizing that the quality of governance is a crucial factor in the overall development of a country, experts on government ethics and law enforcement examine the principles that need to be applied to create more effective and efficient governments. While focusing on the approaches adopted by the City of New York, case studies from around the world are also given.

Since the publication of the first edition of Police and Policing in 1989, the amount of research being conducted on the police as well as public interest in the issues concerning the role of law enforcement has grown considerably. This second, complementary edition examines new issues and changes in law enforcement since 1989, drawing from the most recent and creative research projects in the field. Some of the country's leading experts discuss their findings on topics such as officer fatigue, collaborative problem-solving, tactical patrol, suicide, the role of religion in law enforcement, affirmative action, and psychological testing. This edited collection will prove to be an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and practitioners alike.