Power and Restraint: The Moral Dimension of Police Work.By Howard S. Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. and Michael Feldberg, Praeger Publishing, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , 1991, (212)685-5300. In testimony during the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . (The Christopher Commission In Los Angeles, the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, informally known as the Christopher Commission, was formed in July 1991, in the wake of the Rodney King beating, by then-mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley. ), a UCLA UCLA University of California at Los AngelesUCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX psychiatrist said, "Police are now required to be diagnosticians, and indeed, gatekeepers with respect to the intoxicated in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. , the mentally ill, the traumatized, the emotionally distraught, the bereaved, and even those in the grip of existential despair." As this observation demonstrates, modern society demands much from the police. Citizens expect officers to be assertive in time of danger, restrained in potentially explosive situations, fair in the resolution of disputes, courteous to all persons, and legally secure in their judgments. Power and Restraint examines these high expectations and explores their sources and rational basis. The authors provide a compact (166 pages) and practical analysis of the moral choices that police make. They also present a persuasive case for establishing clear standards for police behavior based on five criteria: Fair access, public trust, safety and security, teamwork, and objectivity. Within this framework, the authors set forth four realistic scenarios-working a rock concert, resolving a dispute, "calling in" a favor, and dealing with a child molester--in which to examine the standards. These cases inspire self-reflection and may even spark animated discussions among experienced officers. Most importantly, however, they can serve as blueprints for inservice ethics instruction. Power and Restraint provides a welcome addition to the relatively limited resources available for ethics training in law enforcement. It represents a valuable contribution to the study of police ethics and would be a thought-provoking addition to any police manager's library. |
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