Police Community Relations: A Conflict Management Approach

Interactions between law enforcement officers and citizens in a democratic society inevitably involve conflict. The wise law enforcement officer understands this and approaches his or her duty with an eye toward mitigating citizen resentment while still upholding the rule of law. Police officers who understand the nature of conflict and the importance of developing great relationships are the key to improving policing. The goal of this updated volume is to explore the complex nature of the police community relationship, including:

• Understanding how and why the police have developed over time, the importance of the rule of law, and the critical need for maintaining police-community relations in a democratic society.
• Understanding the nature of community-oriented policing and its relevancy to police community relations.
• Identifying the common sources of conflict that the police need to understand and cope with.
• Understanding the limits of police authority under the law.
• Defining what is meant by Emotional Intelligence and how it can be developed and enhanced.
• Understanding a new concept called “Humanistic Policing.”
• Identifying the tactics of conflict management that can be employed by the police.
• The ability to discuss the perspectives of the African American community and what the police can do to build better relationships with people of color.
• The ability to discuss the perspectives of the police and why behavior, not racism, drives law enforcement intervention.

Patrick J. Solar is a retired police officer who began his career in Sycamore, Illinois in 1981 rising to the rank of lieutenant. He was appointed police chief in Genoa, Illinois in 2003 where he served until 2010. Solar earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Doctorate in Political Philosophy while employed in policing. He is a 1997 graduate of the FBI National Academy and is currently engaged at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville as an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice.