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Policing America: Challenges and Best Practices, 10th edition

Published by Pearson (January 31, 2021) © 2022

  • Kenneth Peak
  • William Sousa

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For courses in introductory or general policing.

A “learn by doing” approach to what works in policing today

Policing America addresses the greatest challenges in the field today, from policing a diverse society to reexamining policing methods. By challenging readers to vicariously experience the job of the officer, the authors lend a real-world take reflective of the changing times we live in.

Throughout the 10th Edition, the theme of “what works” is reinforced in new cases, new exercises and updated information. Students also have opportunities to think critically, problem-solve and prepare to confront the challenges of policing in our age.

Hallmark features of this title

Opportunities for analysis and career prep

  • EXPANDED: Learn by Doing sections in each chapter pose hypothetical situations. They give students practice communicating, self-managing and problem-solving.
  • EXPANDED: Career Profiles in chapters offer insights from current police practitioners on their duties, a “typical day” and career advice.

An examination of “what works”

  • EXPANDED: Case studies profile real police success stories related to complex criminal justice issues.
  • EXPANDED: Exhibits describing police methods and news items offer timely, topical insight into what works in the field.
  • Comparative Close-ups throughout the text illustrate policing approaches in other countries such as China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Mexico.

New and updated features of this title

The role of police in society

  • EXPANDED: The organization and administration of federal, state and local law enforcement is scrutinized in Part 4. This edition includes expanded discussions of the role of state police agencies and of the political nature of the sheriff, especially in rural counties.
  • EXPANDED: Constraints on police authority are examined in Part 3, whether by court decisions, constitutional enactments or civil liabilities. Updates include recent US Supreme Court decisions, new data on police shootings, and updates on the Black Lives Matter and Blue Live Matter movements.

Policing practices, with attention to current events

  • EXPANDED: Contemporary policing practices are considered in Part 2. This edition emphasizes the nature and extent of problem-solving training as part of police training.
  • EXPANDED: Issues surrounding policing special populations are a focus of Part 5. Emphasis is on related challenges and the methods and tools in use to address them. The new edition adds information on the opioid crisis, gun-control laws, and undocumented immigration to the US.

Features of Revel for the 10th Edition

  • Author Explanatory Videos of 2 to 3 minutes each are embedded into the narrative. They offer explanations of and examples for each concept.
  • Point/CounterPoint Videos explore different views on controversial issues. Topics include the 4th amendment, privacy, search and seizure, Miranda, prisoner rights and the death penalty.
  • Current Events Bulletin includes author-written articles updated each semester to connect core concepts with current events. Students can follow the trajectory of policing, courts and corrections issues within the context of the criminal justice field.

PART 1: FOUNDATIONS: DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN POLICING AND POLICE OFFICERS

  1. History: From English Origins to the United States
  2. Preparing for the Street: Recruitment, Training, and Socialization
  3. On Patrol: Methods and Menaces

PART 2: PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES

  1. Community Policing: “Guardians,” or “Soldiers”?
  2. Criminal Investigation: The Science of Sleuthing
  3. Personnel Issues and Practices: Stress, Labor Relations, Higher Education, and Private Police

PART 3: ADHERING TO LAW, ETHICAL PRINCIPLES, AND PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS

  1. Rule of Law: Expounding the Constitution
  2. Accountability: Use of Force, Ethics, Corruption, and Discipline
  3. Civil Liability: Failing the Public Trust

PART 4: AGENCY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

  1. Federal and State Agencies: Protecting Our Borders and Freedoms
  2. Municipal and County Agencies: Organization, Administration, and Roles

PART 5: BEST PRACTICES: ADDRESSING SPECIAL POPULATIONS, USING SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

  1. Policing Criminal Groups and Organizations: Drug Abusers, Gangs, Terrorists
  2. Policing Special Populations and Problems: Mental Illness, Domestic Violence, Immigrants, and Human Trafficking
  3. Tools, Technologies, Techniques: Contributions and Caveats

About our authors

Kenneth J. Peak is Emeritus Professor and former Chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Reno, where he was named “Teacher of the Year” by the university's Honor Society. Following four years as a municipal police officer in Kansas, he subsequently held positions as a nine-county criminal justice planner for southeast Kansas; director of a four-state technical assistance institute for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (based at Washburn University in Topeka); director of university police at Pittsburg State University (Kansas); acting director of public safety, University of Nevada, Reno; and assistant professor of criminal justice at Wichita State University. He has authored or coauthored 36 textbooks (relating to introduction to criminal justice, general policing, community policing, criminal justice administration, police supervision and management, and women in law enforcement), two historical books (on Kansas temperance and bootlegging) and more than 60 journal articles and invited book chapters. He is past chairman of the Police Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and president of the Western and Pacific Association of Criminal Justice Educators. He received two gubernatorial appointments to statewide criminal justice committees while residing in Kansas and holds a PhD from the University of Kansas.

William H. Sousa is the director of the Center for Crime and Justice Policy and a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He received his BA from Stonehill College (Easton, MA), his MS from Northeastern University (Boston, MA) and his PhD in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University (Newark, NJ). His past research projects include evaluations of policing programs and technologies. The focus of his writing is on crime and disorder reduction policies implemented by police agencies, including the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department. Sousa's current projects involve police order-maintenance practices, police management and community crime prevention in Las Vegas neighborhoods. His recent publications appear in Police Quarterly, The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology and The Journal of Experimental Criminology.

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