The Police in America by Samuel Walker - Book Report/Review Example

 On a careful study of the book “The Police in America: An Introduction” by Samuel Walker and Charles Katz, the reader learns how thankless the job of a Police Officer is! The man in uniform commands respect and attention by the people but his job of law enforcement is arduous and filled with insecurities and anxieties. Mostly Police Officers are on the street and in these days of mounting crimes and with the threatening postures of the all-powerful drug syndicate, they literally put their lives under risk. They draw the attention of the media and the public when grave incidents happen, and barring those sensational times, majority of the people have no idea what the Police Officers do and why they do it. There are good and bad people in all professions and so is the case with the Police Department. When a Police Officer does not react in right time, it may cause the loss of life of someone else, and that is the pointer how serious the job of the Police Officer is! A Police Officer is not inducted into the Police Department as an all-rounder, but the compulsions of the job are such that he has no other alternative but to mold himself as an all-rounder. Though he has a fixed designation, his job profile varies as per the demands of the situation. During the course of the day, a Police Officer may have to respond to the call of a robbery, an accident, or an incident of vandalism, each demanding varied types of response. During emergencies, a Police Officer may be asked to handle an assignment about which one has no previous experience. When the pressure of work mounts and the Police Station is not provided with the sanctioned strength of personnel, let alone additional hands, it is humanly impossible to fulfil the demands of the public. Each complainant who calls on at the Police Station is in a hurry, and the reasons may be genuine in most of the cases. The public wants instant service which is not possible for the Department. The cases with serious injuries or complaints arriving with a dead body have to be given priority. Property crimes can wait. Some types of crimes are so rampart and they are reported for the purpose of information and records and for getting the insurance claims settled. A stolen vehicle is one such crime. The ground realities related to the investigation of crimes are beset with practical problems. When a cop shows up and asks questions many are not willing to answer as they do not wish to get involved. When none in the neighborhood is willing to talk to them, the assignment of the cop becomes difficult. Forensic and physical evidences are just the part of the investigating and evidence tendering process and they will not reveal the whole truth. The unfriendly judicial system renders prosecution impossible in many cases. So also, the first time offenders are let off easily by the courts. Night clubs, restaurants and drug houses succeed in running their establishments somehow. A duty-conscious, honest Police Officer gets frustrated and wonders why he is doing what he is doing! The prevailing legal system is taxing experience for the Police Officers and the Judges are over-protective about the legal rights of those who have committed crimes and drug offences. The book under review deals with the set up and plight of the Police Department in America, studded with several examples and statistics related to the crime situation. Latest research methods and practices in policing have also been elaborated. The book is divided into fifteen chapters that give explanations about the foundations of policing in America today. In the light of the above information, the Police Department is an important Branch of the country, which deals with mainly the internal security and maintenance of law and order. This text is designed as such and is useful for the undergraduate students. It explains how the functions of the police department are not static, how the reforms and innovations have shaped and improved the functioning of the policing system. The book serves as the good introductory for those who wish to take up police or law enforcement courses. The chapter-wise classification of the book is Police and Society, The History of the American Police, The Contemporary Law Enforcement Industry, Police Organizations, Police Officers II: On the Job, Peacekeeping and Order Maintenance, The Police and Crime, Innovations in Police Strategy, Police Discretion, Legitimacy and Community Relations, Police Corruption, Accountability of the Police and The Future of Policing in America. “Walking with the Devil: The Police Code of Silence: What Bad Cops Don't Want You to Know and Good Cops Won't Tell You” by Michael W. Quinn deals with the Police Department and their duties and responsibilities from a different perspective as compared to the book “The Police in America: An Introduction.” This book deals mainly with the in-service problems of the Officers and their duties and responsibilities to each other, besides the public. The author points out how it becomes obligatory on the part of a Police Officer to protect a brother Officer, even when he acts against the essential dignity and discipline of the police force. But the worsening societal standards due to various social and economic causes have been rattling the Police Department also, as the number of officers that end their lives is more than the number of officers killed by felons. Some of the suicides are on account of being caught in legal entanglement as the result of being under investigation for crimes and corrupt practices. The book mainly highlights ‘the code of silence’ prevailing in the Police Department as for crimes committed by brother officers and when an Officer ignores and even protects the criminal conduct of other Officers. The author highlights how the code of silence is an important issue and what happens when the protectors of law enforcement turn to subvert the truth that causes maximum damage to the system of jurisprudence and societal peace. The book provides the stunning information to the readers as to why the good cops look the other way when bad cops are on their job to destroy the police culture. Their ethical dilemma is in fact the legal dilemma, as offering protection to a cop indulging in criminality and corrupt practices is also a crime. The author relates many experiences of the policing in the 1980s, but policing is now entirely different from what it was in that period. Technological innovations and internet revolutions have impacted the investigation processes. The normal policing practices then, are obsolete today. The author also highlights the importance of DNA evidence in investigations at present. Excessive use of force by the Police Officers is another issue discussed by the author. He argues that the use of excessive force is due to lack of experience by the officer and his inability to grasp the level of force needed to tackle a particular situation. In general, both the books deal with the practicalities of functioning as a Police Officer. The book by Samuel Walker is good for those aspiring to take up career as a Police Officer and the later provides rare insight in relation to practical difficulties in discharging one’s duty in the Police Department. Quinn explains the role of Police in America, how corrupt practices in the department are eating into the vitals of the system, how good and duty-conscious Police Officers are obliged to defend the dishonest and corrupt colleagues, how the modern developments and technological innovations have altered the functioning of this law enforcement industry etc. The working of the Police Department is continuously on the watch, not alone by the government, but by the people. Notwithstanding the enlightened recruitment and selection procedures, the extensive training given, once a candidate joins the police force, drastic changes in his disposition and psychology are observed, and one’s attitude undergoes noticeable changes. He loses much of his politeness in his attitudes towards the police. The Police Officers have to play the dual roles of fulfilling the expectations of the society, as well as the interests of the contending parties in a conflict. Not the corporal punishment, but reformation and rehabilitation are the watchwords in the functioning of the police department today. No individual is a born criminal and as such the strategies to deal with the crime situation have also changed. Several new developments have taken place in the policing system and the importance of the community as a societal protection force is gaining popularity. Community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing, and zero-tolerance policing are popular concepts and both the authors show awareness about the changed scenarios in the functioning of the Police Force. Another important issue discussed by the authors is about race and ethnicity and its implications in the functioning of the Police Officers. This is a sensitive issue and different strategies are used by the authorities to counter functional malpractices. The framework of laws is important for the civilized society, but what really matters is their implementation. The spirit of the law must prevail for which society needs to create not only the noble laws, but noble professionals. If the provisions of law are interpreted to the disadvantage of the honest man, the decaying process in the society will begin. When aggrandizement for wealth becomes the passion, the missionary zeal related to the profession is lost. If the values of a profession are lost, such an individual becomes party and supporter to the perpetrator of the crime and it is as good as the ‘fence grazing the crops.’ In the world of law there are only two types of human beings. Guilty or not-guilty and all the acts and ordinances are meant to identify the guilty and protect the innocent. If that is not done in a fair and equitable manner, the people will lose faith in judiciary and the police force. The combustible younger generation in any profession is in a hurry to get monetary gains and means are of no consequence for them. This is the danger signal that indicates social decay and once the downward spiral begins, it will advance like the avalanche with disastrous consequences for the psyche of the society. References List Quinn, Michael W. (2011) Walking with the Devil: The Police Code of Silence: What Bad Cops Don't Want You to Know and Good Cops Won't Tell You. Quinn and Associates Publishing and Consulting; New York, Print Walker, Samuel & Katz, Charles (2012) The Police in America: An Introduction. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; New York, Print Read More