Recent Book: The American System: The National Manpower Survey of the Criminal Justice System Volumes I — VII
| Author | Ken Russell |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8005300129 |
| Date | 01 January 1980 |
| Published date | 01 January 1980 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
same message as the report reviewed
above
~
alcohol is a culturally accepted
drug of dependence with multifarious
physical, psychological and social
Implications. A key interest, of course, to
any police patrol is the frequent
association of alcohol with dangerously
unpredictable violence and in the latter
half of the book the author offers advice
on police intervention in alcoholic crises.
Domestic violence, violent crime and
drunken driving are all examined as
practical issues and police tactics
discussed in a simple direct manner. In
addition. advice is given on spotting the
tell tale signs of alcohol abuse.
There is much of value here,
particularly for the inexperienced officer,
although the Americanlegaland cultural
bias makes it difficult to recommend
unreservedly. What a pity that with
~ne
or two notable exceptions such advice
on practical policemanship is absent
from British police literature.
The author's concern, however, goes
deeper than practicalities and he displays
and urges aprofessional caring approach
to the 'drink-troubled' individual. This
concern is turned inwards in a brief final
chapterwhichechoes thecurrent concern
with the police as a stressful occupation
and proffers advice to the officerwho has
his very own alcohol problem.
RUBBISH!
Edited by
SIMON
HOLDAWAY:
The British Police.
EDWARD
ARNOLD
(Paperback £3.95)
It
seemed likely at one time that the
prize for the year's (if not the decade's)
worst book on the police would go to
Peter Hain, whose prejudice is even
apparent to his ownfriends. Why doesn't
someone start a fund to buy him a single
ticket back home and perhaps another
for his friend, Tariq Ali? Then they can
both take some positive action in their
own countries about the racial segre-
gation they find so offensive here and
then perha ps we could be spared their
specious muck raking.
But no, it has taken an English
sociologist to put together under the
apparently authoritative title "TH E
BRITIS H POLICE" the worst collection
of anti-police rubbish this reviewer has
ever had to read!
To take each essay individually would
be to give them a standing to which they
are not entitled, but perhaps someone
might consider a criminal prosecution of
the publisher for his claim that "This
book contains much needed evidence on
the characteristics of contemporary
policing!!
I gave my copy to two graduates with
first class honours degrees - one in the
discipline of the editor - and they were
as appalled as I by the prejudice and lack
of acceptable academic research which is
so evident throughout the bok.
If
you watch "Z Cars" and "The
Sweeney", apparently you will see the
police in their classic role of the
maintenance of class relationships! The
drug problem is caused and exacerbated
by the police by their enforcement of the
country's laws on drugs!
You have been warned! AEOILIS
THE
AMERICAN SYSTEM
THE
NATIONAL
MANPOWER
SURVEY
OFTHE
CRIMINAL
JUSTICE
SYSTEM
VOLUMES
I - VII.
US Government Printing Office, 1978.
An American Congressional require- sources, is contained in the Summary
ment, under the 1973Crime Control Act, Report in Volumes VI, VII, and VIII:
for a survey of personnel training and Separate assessments of the education
education needs in the fields of law and training needs of the personnel in the
enforcement and criminal justice, and of three sectors of the Criminal Justice
the adequacy of federal, state and local System - law enforcement; corrections,
programmes to meet these needs, and courts - are contained in Volumes
enabled
the
Law
Enforcement
II, III, and IV, while in Volume V
Administration to fund a National attention is focussed on institutional and
Manpower Survey of the Criminal governmental resources which can help
Justice System. to fulfill agency needs. •
The eight volumes, which comprise the The Criminal Justice System is very
full report, provide what must be the labour intensive and the decision to
most comprehensive review of any consider this as a single enterprise is
Criminal Justice System in the world. commendable and far sighted despite the
The overall scope
ofthe
study, including highly motivating factor of manpower
descriptions of methodology and data problems with which the whole system is
January 1980 Police Journal 95
To continue reading
Request your trial