Public Policing in the 21st Century: Issues and Dilemmas in the U. S. and Canada Book

Terrorism, Internet-based crimes, and school shootings are among the unprecedented challenges now facing U.S. and Canadian police agencies, according to this new book. This anthology analyzes today's most formidable challenges to effective police work and offers recommended responses. The book's 12 contributing authors -- several of whom have served as employees of or consultants to law enforcement agencies -- outline more effective methods for police to: prevent terrorist attacks and school shootings; protect battered women; block Internet-based crimes ranging from pornography to identity theft; enhance employment opportunities for minority and female officers; and adapt police work to the requirements of new technologies and broad changes in the U.S. and Canadian populations. However, the authors are also critical of some recent trends in policing, such as the increased reliance on paramilitary units like SWAT teams and "riot squads," and the violations of civil liberties associated with some responses to the terrorist threat. The chapters topics include: "The challenge to civil rights and liberty in post-9/11 America" by William Burger (Longwood University); "Policing in the Information Age: The evolution of a 21st century police form" by Ronald Stansfield (Guelph University); "The role of physical security in perception of risk and fear of terrorism attacks" by Shari W. Mitchell (Penn State University); "The police, the public and the post-liberal politics of fear: paramilitary policing post-September-11th" by Stephen L. Muzzatti (Ryerson University); "The social organization of Internet policing...: from pornography to terrorism" by Abbee Corb-Cinotti (American Military University) and Livy Visano (York University); "School shootings and school terrorism attacks: identification, intervention and tactical response" by David B. Stein (Longwood University); "Police advocacy for battered women: are mandatory arrest policies the pinnacle of reform?" by Debra S. Kelley (Longwood University); "Minority officers compared to white officers: theoretical reappraisal, recent literature, and future research" by Ivan Y. Sun (University of Delaware); and, "... a sociological understanding of women in the occupation of law enforcement" by Catherine Orban (Grand Valley State University).