Current Issues in Policing

Featuring chapters written by scholars with experience in a wide range of policing-related activities, Current Issues in Policing provides students with diverse perspectives regarding timely issues in policing. Students learn not only about the function of police in society and the operations of a police organization, but also about the most important related topics within the field.

The book begins with a chapter exploring the intersection of policing and private security, followed by a brief history of the profession. It then examines specific topics, including technology and privacy, use of force, and the importance of quality leadership in law enforcement. Additional chapters address training and education, mental health issues, police-minority relations, police suicide, and the challenge of responding to domestic violence calls. Students read about efforts to humanize the police to improve community relations, the role of body cameras in modern policing, and the threat of criminal manufacturing enterprises. The book concludes with a chapter assessing the future of policing.

The second edition features new content on the protests and civil unrest of 2020, the Homeland Security and Social Justice Eras, the concept of defunding the police, facial recognition, biometrics, robotics, ShotSpotter technology, license plate reader technology, 3D printing, and more.

Highlighting relevant and timely issues, Current Issues in Policing is an excellent resource for courses and programs in criminal justice and law enforcement.

Christopher James Utecht is an associate professor of criminal justice at the College of Lake County. He holds a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.