Book Review: Police in Australia
| Date | 01 December 1978 |
| Author | Peter McAulay |
| Published date | 01 December 1978 |
| DOI | 10.1177/000486587801100409 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
BOOK REVIEWS 253
unsophisticated correctional worker.
The
book
is meant to
be
introductory
and
the
chapter
"Medications used in psychiatry" is
very
useful
and
should be
modified
for local usage as some of the
trade
names used in
the
chapter
are
unknown in Australia
and
New Zealand. Further, different correctional
institutions
may
well
tend
to have their "favourite"
and
frequently
used
drugs.
As an introductory
book
is necessary for the
modern
correctional worker, this
publication is
recommended
to fill the present need; the basis of this
recommendation is that
the
reviewer knows no
other
text even remotely similar.
ALLEN
A
BARTHOLOMEW
Melboume
Police in Australia, Kerry L Milte
and
Thomas AWeber. Butrerworths, Sydney
1977, $24.50 hard cover, $19.50 limp cover.
There
has
been
areluctance on the
part
of the police to articulate their views
as to the efficacy of the criminal justice system
and
the principles
upon
which
it is based.
Of
course the police are constantly in
debate
as to
how
such
principles ought to be interpreted, as
opposed
to the soundness of the principles
themselves,
but
this is usually in opposition to the legal profession who
ultimately judge, in one capacity or another, the validity of the arguments.
Consequently, the police philosophy has
remained
largely unstated. It was for
this reason that Ilooked
forward
to the publication of this
work
as
one
of the
authors, Kerry Milte, has
had
experience
both
as a policeman
and
abarrister, in
addition to his distinguished academic career. In consequence, there
would
be
few
more
qualified to
present
a
work
such as this.
Therefore
my
expectations
were
high
and
these
were
largely satisfied.
Part 2 is particularly
commended
to the police reader, as it is a comprehensive
analysis of the "Role of the police in the community". It should aid the inquiring
mind
in establishing a
proper
perspective of attitude. With considerable sublety,
Mr Milte cautions police officers against the
error
of seeing their function as one
of simple law enforcement.
The
point
should
be
well taken.
In isolation, most of the chapters are excellent, however, it is in their
relationship each to the others, that Ifound
my
greatest grounds for criticism. In
fact, the
book
does
not
seem
to
be
directed
toward
any particular class or level
of reader. While some of the chapters are interestingly esoteric, others are
frustratingly basic. This might be excused because of their relevance to the
topics, namely development, functions
and
procedures, however I was
left
wondering
as to
whether
some of the material was selected because of its
relevance to the topics or
whether
the topics
were
selected because of their
relevance to the available material. Itherefore regard the
work
more
as a
collection of very useful reference articles than as a Jiook.
Certainly it succeeds in pointing up some
very
real difficulties which are
facing police because of the emerging social
and
legal environment.
For
example, Part 3deals most adequately
with
awhole range of problems
associated with interrogation. In particular
chapter
5, which in
my
view presents
acomprehensive
and
accurate account of
the
law as it stands in
regard
to
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