Recent Book: Police Reform in the United States: Police Reform in the United States: The Era of August Vollmer
| Author | Thomas A. Reppetto |
| Published date | 01 April 1976 |
| Date | 01 April 1976 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X7604900226 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
"Dorsey has provided a framework
for operationalizing systems theory
when he defined a system as:
'A boundedregion inspace and time,
within which information and/or
energy are exchanged among sub-
systems in greater quantities and/or
at higher rates than the quantities
exchanged or rates
of
exchange with
anything outside the boundary, and
within the sub-system are to some
degree inter-dependent.'
Early in the chapter on police
operations comes the comment that
"patrol as such is not a major pro-
gramme activity
of
a Police Depart-
ment". That may be true of American
police systems but I do not think
that
is the case in this country.
We are not, I think, complacent
about our police organization.
It
is an
improved and improving service. We
can and should take advantage of
what the police scientist has to offer
which may improve our organization
and our efficiency.
There is in this volume that which
could assist, but I am doubtful that
the search for the relevant is worth-
while.
It
is a revised third printing.
It
will need a major overhaul if it is to
prove to be a worthwhile addition to
an English police library.
W. J. C.
PULLINGER
POLICE
REFORM
IN
THE
UNITED STATES
GENE
E.
CARTE
and
ELAINE
H.
CARTE:
Police Reform in the United States: The
Era
of
August Vollmer, 1905-1932. University of California Press, Berkley,
California, USA.
This book is based on a doctoral given exclusive control over civil dis-
dissertation submitted by one of the order so that "state suppression
..•
authors to the School of Criminology should be open and obvious".
of the University of California at This brief polemic, which fails to
Berkeley. Despite the title, the primary examine any possible defects of the
focus is on Vollmer's life rather than alternatives posed, is out of tone with
an era or the general police reform the critical but objective contents of
movement. Indeed, since the book the previous chapters. Indeed, the
contains only 123 pages of text, it is recommendations appear to be left
really too short to do more
than
over from the political struggle for
sketch the subject's career. control of the Berkeley police which
Vollmer as Berkeley Police Chief, took place a few years ago. At present,
consultant, and professor was a major the fervour for community control and
figure in the development of the citizen protest has lessened since the
"professional" model of policing. The disorders in such non-minority com-
two main features of this model were munities as South Boston, Massa-
the organization of police around the chusetts and Forest Hills, New York.
crime fighting mission and an empha- Also the authors' view that the police
sis on political neutrality. The authors "focuses on crimes committed by, not
point out that later, under O.W. against, the local inhabitants" (of
Wilson (Vollmer's protege) and others, ghettoes) ignores the fact
that
many
this model was to move away from street crime victims are minority citi-
Vollmer's emphasis on social service zens and that the greatest demands
to one of managerial efficiency. for protection come from them.
Regrettably, but understandably, The most recent trend in police
this important point is not followed administration is to lessen the empha-
up since it would carry the book sis on technical efficiency in favour of
beyond the time period under study. social service; however, this may
not
Thus, the reader is totally unprepared be feasible for reasons cited in the
for a final short chapter wherein there present study. Thus, there is a need
is a great leap forward to the present to re-analyse the professional model
day and we are presented with a and its alternatives. The present book
number of recommendations which contributes to that objective but it
do not arise from, and in many would have been a much stronger
instances contradict, what has gone work had it either stopped sooner or
before.
For
example, it is urged that gone much further.
police be controlled by local neighbour-
THOMAS
A.
REPPETTO
hood groups and that the military be
April
1976 142
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