by David H. Bayley (Author)
Police do not and cannot prevent crime. This alarming thesis is explored by David Bayley, one of the most prolific and internationally renowned authorities on criminal justice and policing, in Police for the Future. Providing a systematic assessment of the performance of the police institution as a whole in preventing crime, the study is based on exhaustive research, interviews, and first hand observation in five countries--Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States. It analyzes what police are accomplishing in modern democratic societies, and asks whether police organizations are using their resources effectively to prevent crime.
Bayley assesses the impediments to effective crime prevention, describes the most promising reforms currently being tested by the police, and analyzes the choices that modern societies have with respect to creating truly effective police forces. He concludes with a blueprint for the creation of police forces that can live up to their promise to reduce crime and enhance public safety. Written for both the general public and the specialist in criminal justice, Police for the Future offers a unique multinational perspective on one of society's most basic institutions.Back Jacket
This book presents a theory of policing. Not a theory in the scientific sense of explaining why police act as they do (although there is some of that), but a theory that explains the choices democratic societies face about the police. Are the police doing what they should? If not, what are the possibilities for improvement? In particular, what are the advantages and disadvantages of continuing as we are or of pressing forward in different ways? This book presents a theory of policy choices. It presents what people need to consider in order to frame police policies intelligently.
Author Biography
David H. Bayley is Dean and Professor of the School of Criminal Justice, State University of New York. He is the author of numerous books and articles on policing and criminal justice.