The Police and Society: Touchstone Readings

This collection of readings provides multiple foundations for understanding the dynamic interrelationships between the police and society. The articles serve as touchstones for one another - a blueprint for systematic inquiry: What are the background assumptions in each article; what values influence the questions raised; were the findings relevant in only one particular context; what connections link the articles; where do opinions diverge? Economic rhetoric among police administrators, the promotion of community policing by reformers, a significant expansion in tactical operations by law enforcement agencies, and the advance of a criminology of place have emerged as key issues affecting the relationships between the police and society today. What perceptions created these approaches? What constructions will replace them in the future?