The New World of Police Accountability
- Samuel E. Walker - University of Nebraska Omaha, USA
- Carol A. Archbold - North Dakota State University, USA
Critical Issues in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Police Studies | Values and ethics
“This book gives a brief yet thorough summary of the main components of police accountability in the 21st century. What works, what doesn’t, and where are we going in the future? I love to use it with my undergraduate students to help them understand the complexities of policing in the modern era.”
—Janne E. Gaub, East Carolina University
Completely revised to cover recent events and research, the Third Edition of The New World of Police Accountability provides an original and comprehensive analysis of some of the most important developments in police accountability and reform strategies. With a keen and incisive perspective, esteemed authors and policing researchers, Samuel Walker and Carol Archbold, address the most recent developments and provide an analysis of what works, what reforms are promising, and what has proven unsuccessful. The book’s analysis draws on current research, as well as the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing and the reforms embodied in Justice Department consent decrees.
New to the Third Edition:
- The national crisis over police legitimacy and use of force, is put into context through extensive discussions of recent police shootings and the response to this national crisis, providing readers a valuable perspective on the positive steps that have been taken and the limits of those steps.
- Coverage of the issues related to police officer uses of force is now the prevailing topic in Chapter 3 and includes detailed discussion of the topic, including de-escalation, tactical decision making, and the important changes in training related to these issues.
- An updated examination of the impact of technology on policing, including citizens’ use of recording devices, body-worn cameras, open data provided by police agencies, and use of social media, explores how technology contributes to police accountability in the United States.
- A complete, up-to-date discussion of citizen oversight of the police provides details on the work of selected oversight agencies, including the positive developments and their limitations, enabling readers to have an informed discussion of the subject.
- Detailed coverage of routine police activities that often generate public controversy now includes such topics as responding to mental health calls, domestic violence calls, and police "stop and frisk" practices.
- Issues related to policing and race relations are addressed head-on through a careful examination of the data, as well as the impact of recent reforms that have attempted to achieve professional, bias-free policing.
“In-depth of materials and explanations of a new area of policing, which are relevant to today’s police – incorporates evidence based research and real-life examples. Appropriate for an upper level undergraduate course, or a graduate course.”
“Significant to understanding the trust and legitimacy crisis in American policing today. Thorough coverage of the best practices an agency could and should be employing to become as open and accountable to the communities they serve as possible. Information students aspiring to careers in law enforcement, current practitioners, and concerned citizens of any community should familiarize themselves with.”
“A great book, covers much of the information one would cover in a policing class and also in an Ethics in Law Enforcement class.”
“This book gives a brief yet thorough summary of the main components of police accountability in the 21st century. What works, what doesn’t, and where are we going in the future? I love to use it with my undergraduate students to help them understand the complexities of policing in the modern era.”
Incredible text. Really hits what I teach.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1: A National Police Crisis
Chapter 3: The “Heart Of The Matter”: Controlling Police Officer Use of Force
