Justice and Legitimacy in Policing: Transforming the Institution

Justice and Legitimacy in Policing critically analyzes the state of American policing and evaluates proposed solutions to reform/transform the institution, such as implementing body-worn cameras, increasing diversity in police agencies, the problem of crimmigration, limiting qualified immunity, and the abolitionist movement.

Considering the changes that have occurred in our sociopolitical climate, policymakers, scholars, and the public are in need of a book that focuses on the American policing institution in a comprehensive yet critical manner. Each chapter is devoted to a specific area of policing that has either received criticism for the problems it may create or has been proposed to effect reform. The chapters are sequenced such that readers are introduced to a spectrum of topics to expand the discourse on changes needed to achieve equitable policing. The book also encourages readers to consider the idea that achieving justice and legitimacy in policing cannot happen as the institution is now formulated, and it invites readers to use the topics discussed in each chapter to envision transformative propositions.

Justice and Legitimacy in Policing is intended to engage policymakers and practitioners as well as interested members of the public. The scope of this book also makes it a valuable resource for academics and students.

Miltonette Olivia Craig is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University. She completed her Ph.D. at Florida State University and J.D. at Georgia State University. Her primary research focus is on racial disparities in policing outcomes such as traffic stops, citizen complaints, and protest responses. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, Journal of Criminal Justice, Race and Justice, and Policing: An International Journal.

Kwan-Lamar Blount-Hill is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. He completed his Ph.D. at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (City University of New York) and J.D. at Emory University. His research interests include social and racial identity, police trust and legitimacy, and perceptions of justice. His work has appeared in Criminal Justice and Behavior, Critical Criminology, Race and Justice, and Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.