Recent Book: The Lawyer and the Social Condition: “Breaking & Entering. Policewomen on Patrol”
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8105400328 |
| Published date | 01 July 1981 |
| Date | 01 July 1981 |
| Author | Lorna Baker |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
individual
police officers
are
confronted
with
problems
which fall
outside
the
realms of law
enforcement
and
peace
keeping.
The
police response to such
problems
is inevitably
and
properly
one
of
short
term
assistance
and
then
referral to an
appropriate
social agency.
The
fact
that
the Guide successfully
meets its
declared
objective of
providing
an easy
source
of
information
on such
agencies
means
that
the referral aspect of
police involvement in social
problems
can
be
made
easier
and
more
effective by
reference to the Guide.
A
general
commentary
is
provided
on
how
government.
both
central
and
local.
is
organized
to provide social services
and
on the
main
types of social agency.
Under
broad
chapter
headings
(e.g.
Personal
Social
Services I;
Children
and
Families;
The
National
Health
Service;
Welfare Benefits
and
Pensions;
The
Law
and
Legal Services etc.), specific
information
is provided on the
terms
of
reference of the
various
bodies.
statutes
governing
the services. as well as
addresses
and
telephone
numbers.
Non-
statutory
and
self-help
groups
are
also
included.
This
means
that
the Guide
can
be of practical use to those
branches
of
the police service which have a specific
liaison responsibility with social agencies
aswell
as to
other
officers in
some
aspects
of
their
day
to
day
duties.
Apart
from
its practical reference
function.
the Guide gives an
indication.
almost
in
catalogue
form. of the
structural
complexity
of a society such as
ours.
and
the
extent
to which the
state
has
undertaken
the provisions of
"social
services". R.
CRA
WSHA
W
SUSAN
EHRLICH
MARTIN:
"Breaking &Entering. Policewomen on Patrol"
University
of
California
Press. £9.00.
In
common
with a
good
number
of
research
based
books.
this
publication
was originally
written
as a
Ph.D.
dissertation.
It is
therefore
an
academic
work
and
sociological in style.
Apart
from a few
somewhat
startling
instances.
the
terminology
is
not
obscure
and
the
product
of
this
transformation
from
doctorial
thesis is a
readable
and.
in
places.
engrossing
book.
Described as
"an
in-depth
study
of
officers in
one
police district in the
Metropolitan
Police
Department
of
Washington
D.C.
", it is
written
with
considerable
insight
and
perception
as
the
author
worked
for a time in
that
police
department
as a reserve officer.
She
performed
over
60
tours
of
duty
and
worked
with
about
50 different officers.
observing
and
interviewing
her
colleagues as she
worked
with them.
The
author
states. "I perceived the
police
world
through
the eyes of an
upper-middle-class
white
woman
and
feminist".
and
this
explains
the
emphasis
given to the
many
quotes
used in the
book.
These
quotes
by
both
male
and
female officers on
their
attitudes
towards
their
work,
the public.
and
each
other.
provide
revealing
and
often
amusing
illustrations.
especially in
those
places
where the sociological
terminology
may
impede
easy
understanding
by the
307
layman.
Many
of the
quotes.
although
made
by
American
police
officers
about
themselves.
their
Force
and
the
American
public.
are
pertinent
to
their
British
counterparts.
Indeed,
those
concerning
sexism.
"heightism",
and
just
plain prejudice will be
only
too
familiar
to
any
policewoman
in this
country
who
reads
the
book.
She
will
find
explanations
for
not
only
her
own.
often
subconscious.
attitudes
but
also
for the
actions
of
those
around
her: her
prisoners. her female colleagues
and,
most
revealing
of
all,
her
male
colleagues.
Although
the
book
successfully
identifies
and
explains
many
of the
problems
encountered
by
women
"breaking
and
entering"
into
the male
domain
of police
work,
no real
solutions
are
offered. Ms.
Martin
is hopeful
that
time will
gradually
bring
about
cultural
and
organizational
changes
which will
enable
individual
characteristics
rather
than
sex to
determine
an officer's
chances
of success.
This
sentiment
will be
echoed
by
many
women
police officers.
The
writer
closes the
book
with the
remark
that
"until
then
...
female officers will be
pressured
to
think
like men,
work
like
dogs.
and
act
like ladies".
LORNA
BAKER
July 1981
To continue reading
Request your trial